New guy at CHS: The next generation
by PhantomBlazeBrony
Summary: Shining Cobalt is now 44 years old, and will soon step down as emperor of the mystic realm. One of his 6 kids will be the next heir to the throne, but a newer, greater enemy threatens Cobalt and his wives. This forces Cobalt to send his kids, and soon his wives to an unknown yet familiar place. What will happen to Cobalt, Main 7, and their kids?
1. Prologue

_Ah, 20 years since the last time we did this. Perhaps I should go over what has happened in those 20 years._

 _Well, I'm a father now. A father of... 5 kids. Two with Rarity, one with Rainbow, one with Pinkie, one with Fluttershy, and lastly, one with Sunset. 5 girls, and 1 boy. There names are: Silver, Quartz, Lavender, Fluffy, Electric, and Blaze. Silver is the oldest, and Quartz is the youngest. Silver was my first baby with Rarity, and about a year after that, came Fluffy. 2 months later, Lavender was born into this world. About roughly 2 years afterwards, Blaze was born. A few months after that Rainbow gave birth to Electric. 2 years later, Rarity gave birth to our second child, Quartz._

 _Thanks to the girls, I was able to get my powers. The only downside to it was my original blue hair color never came back. So my hair is still red which sucks. You what also sucks? Quartz and Lavender both inherited my blue hair. I don't know how that works, but I guess it's because my family hair color is blue._

 _There is one problem I have with my kids. Quartz doesn't really... respect anyone except his older sister, Silver. Even with her sometimes, he disrespects her. I don't what the hell is wrong with my kid? I'm getting to old right now for all this. I'm 44 years old now, and I don't think my old bones can take it._

 _You may not think that's old, but when you go through what I went through, then yeah, your bones will become brittle quickly._

 _The strongest out of my kids is obviously Silver. She's sort of like me when it comes to vigilance, and the calm mindset I have. Her more feminine side comes the same as her mother does. You can see the difference when it shows. As for her accent, she doesn't have one. She has a normal accent, and not her mother's refined, delicate accent._

 _Silver excels in ice magic, and wields a sword and a shield. She also inherits Rainbow's loyalty as well. She's an amazing mystic and fighter. She had quite the record in her school years. She was student council president all 4 years for high school. Went, and still is, on a high winning streak. Ranked 55 in the entire mystic. Whew, the list goes on and on. She is the price and joy of us._

 _Fluffy is exactly like her mother. Outgoing, always excited, talk fast, and breaks the fourth wall a lot. Her weapon of choice is a lightning long blade. The weapon is able to stun an enemy on contact, and is extremely fast and ferocious._

 _She's on a winning streak too. She was on the student council as the vice-president. Quite an accomplishment for someone as rowdy as her._

 _Lavender is elegant, yet shy like her mother. She specializes in healing, and usea her battle harp to increase her healing powers. Yes. she fights with a battle harp. Music is a deadly thing that I just can't comprehend._

 _She's the secretary of the student council, but she is on a losing streak. She doesn't like dueling, so she tries her best to stray away from it._

 _Blaze is like me, and Sunset combined. You can just assume how she is. She's strong-willed, and won't take a second before helping someone in need._

 _She chose not to be on the student council, and chooses to live a normal student life. She is also on a winning streak right now. Her weapon of choice are armblades similar to Thunder, but smaller to give her more speed._

 _Electric is just like her mother as well. Athletic, and everything you can relate with Rainbow. Strong-willed, with a burning passion of sports. Right now, she's captain of every single sports team at school. However, her grades are lacking severely due to it. She uses flying swords as her weapons. She was able to use her levitate ability on a pair of swords which soon turned into a lot of swords. She soon was able to fight extremely well like this, and this became her "weapon" of choice._

 _This brings me to my son. He's... just a disrespectful young man. He gets into fights at school, and doesn't like to us or any of his sisters. His older sister, Silver, tries to see what's wrong with him, but he dislikes her the most. Rarity and I don't know what to do with him, but all we can do... is hope..._

A silver haired young woman stood before Cobalt. She wielded a sword and a shield as she stood before him.

"Do you remember your training from today Silver?" Cobalt of course had aged since we had last seen him.

His hair was long again, just not outrageously long. He had grown a goatee on his face, and his face grew a little more masculine.

"I don't know Father. I usually duel Electric or Fluffy, but I can't duel you..."

"I'm not as strong as I was when I was your age Silver..."

"No, I just don't want to make a fool out of you when I win...," Silver readied herself when she said this.

"When did I teach you to be arrogant Silver?"

"It's in the family..."

Cobalt laughed as he spawned his spear once again, "Very well then my daughter. Let us go!"

"Yes Father!" The two charged at each other as Rarity was hanging clothes up outside of their summer house in the mystic realm.

"Try not to go too overboard. We still haven't fixed the fountain you broke last month," Rarity grew into a fine looking woman. Curvaceous body, along with a wonderful bust. Her hair still flowed elegantly in the wind as she wore a nice summer dress, sown by her of course.

"Don't worry sweetie, we'll try our best."

"That's not what I... oh nevermind..."

Inside the house was Electric and her mom, Rainbow Dash playing some type of video game. It looked like a hack-and-slash type video game. Possibly Dynasty Warriors.

"Wow mom, I didn't think you were this good at this game...," Electric responded as she controlled her character on screen.

"I don't have much time to play anymore ever since your dad put me on the Imperial Council, but I still got my skill from when I was your age kiddo."

"You are officially 20% cooler in my books."

"Thank Elec..."

In the front yard, Pinkie was showing her daughter, Fluffy how to work her party cannon for Quartz 16th birthday in a few months, "All you really have to do, is pull this string here, and a party of confetti, balloons, streamers, and tons of other party favors come blasting out!"

"Alright, let's see if this works...," Fluffy pulled the string, which caused the party cannon to go off, "Whoa!"

"Party!"

Meanwhile, in the garden, Fluttershy and Applejack were tending to the plants as Lavender played on her harp.

Applejack stopped to look at her in amazement, "Yer' daughter is amazin' on that harp. Why dontcha' try and have her go big?"

"Well, Cobalt doesn't want that for her. Besides, she'll be too shy around a large crowd to perform."

"'Ah get what yer' saying. Still, she's amazin'..."

"Thank you, I agree. She's amazing on that harp."

In the study, Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer, and Blaze all sat in there studying. Twilight and Sunset looked at Sunset's daughter as she was studying, "She sort of picks up from you too Twilight."

"I see that, but she's your daughter. She acts like you still. I see a little bit of Cobalt in her as well."

"Yeah, I'm proud of her. Quartz on the other hand..."

"Give him some time Sunset. He's just going through a phase."

"I hope you're right."

And on the roof, was Cobalt's son, Quartz. He stared down at everyone, and then back up at the sky, "Hmph...," Was all he could muster up.

Back at the duel, sparks came flying towards the large family of Cobalt, minus Quartz. They watched on in amazement as the two were evenly matched.

"Father, perhaps your age is catching up to you."

"Possibly, but I'm still going toy give it my all."

"That's why I respect you father. You give it your all until the very end!" Silver came barreling down towards Cobalt, who was on the ground, but he had managed to block the hit off. They met in deadlock as the two smirked at each other.

It was then Cobalt said, "Ah, my back... my back...," Cobalt collapsed onto one knee as he grabbed his back.

"Father," The others stared in shock as Silver rushed to her father's aid. Cobalt smirked as he kicked her legs from underneath her and she fell to the ground with his spear at her throat.

"Never let your guard down Silver. I taught you better," Silver groaned in frustration as she tripped her father in retaliation.

"Damn it Dad!"

"Normally I wouldn't approve of that language, but what the hell, come here!" Cobalt pulled her down, both of them laughing. Electric ran over to them, and jumped on top of them.

"Dog pile on daddy!" The rest of the kids jumped on Cobalt as their mothers went over to them.

"You kids be careful before you really hurt your father's back."

"Too late...," Cobalt said in a slightly pained voice. The kids stopped, and got off their father.

"Oh dear, Fluttershy deary, can you heal Cobalt's back for him please?"

"I got it, don't worry...," Fluttershy knelt beside Cobalt, and began waving her hand over Cobalt's abdomen. Her hand glowed green as she did so.

"Rarity sweetie, can you bring the kids inside. I think we should talk about... that..."

"Huh?" They all stared at Rarity and their mothers as Cobalt said this.

Silver walked up to her mother with a questioning look, "Mother, what is father talking about?"

"He'll explain when Fluttershy heals him. Head on inside children," Rarity ushered the girls inside as he looked at Fluttershy.

"Flutters..."

"Cobalt, you know how your son will react, right?" She continued healing him as he sighed.

"Perhaps, but he needs to learn to grow up. It maybe because of all of you and his sisters. I don't think he sees them as his family since they're all half blood related."

"But Silver is his full blood sister. Shouldn't he see her as family?"

"He should see all his sisters as family. He even disrespects all of you. I don't know what to do with that boy..."

"Just give him a chance. He's still young, so don't worry about it," Fluttershy helped Cobalt up as he stretched, "Don't strain yourself for a little bit. I suggest you lie down after you talk to the kids."

"Alright, thanks sweetie," Cobalt kissed Fluttershy on her cheek, causing her to lightly blush and smile.

Cobalt walked back into the house with all his kids, minus Quartz. He looked around for him, adding a sigh with it, "I couldn't find Quartz Cobalt darling..."

"Quartz!"

"I"m here old man...," Quartz came in through the back door, leaning on it as he looked away from them.

"Don't you talk to your father like that Quartz!" Rarity berated, but Quartz just scoffed at her.

"Calm down Rarity. Let's just get this family meeting done and over with," Cobalt turned away from his son as he began speaking, "As you know, I'm not like how I was 20 years ago, before all of you were born. I may have hinted at this, but I'm planning on resigning as emperor," All of their kids looked at each other, this even caught Quartz attention, "You know the next heir for the throne will be one of you, correct?"

They all nodded, but this caused Quartz to look away in anger. Silver caught this, and could only look down from him, "I've been watching how all of you have grown over the years, and I'm close to making my decision. I'll make my decision before the end of the year. I think it's pretty clear who I'm choosing."

This caused Quartz to groan, "Of course it's obvious...," Quartz walked towards the front door, only to be stopped by his mom.

"Now stop right there young man. I can't stand your behavior Quartz. Why are you acting like this? This... is not how we raised you..."

"Maybe I don't want to be raised by people who aren't family. Maybe I don't want to be around a group of ignorant people. I don't belong here..."

Rarity was about to say something else, but she stopped herself, "I'm done trying to get to you Quartz," She walked towards Cobalt, and looked at him before walking further into the house. Cobalt looked at his son, and sighed in frustration.

"Everyone, please leave my son and I alone," Without hesitating, everyone, except Silver left. Cobalt looked at his daughter, and ushered her to leave, "Please, just go see your mother...," She nodded as she walked towards the direction her mother left. Cobalt then stared at Quartz before walking towards him. Quartz shuffled back, grabbing the front doorknob in the process, "Son, I need to know why you're like this. Have you seen how you make your sister feel?"

"I've noticed, I just don't really care at this point..."

"Why? She's your sister. She's not your half-sister, she's your full blood sister!" Quartz could only frown, and turn away, "The last thing I want from you is to disrespect your family. We're all your family, half-blood or not..."

"I don't need to hear this from you old man. You wanna know why I'm like this? It's because you look down upon me because of how your little princess is."

"Huh?"

"Are you oblivious to your own actions? You praise Silver for everything she does. No matter what, you praise her. Even if she makes a mistake, she gets praised beyond belief. Even the other girls, but what's different with me? No matter what I do, I can't get any type of praise from you father. I find it easy to go somewhere people can praise my work."

Quartz opened the door, but his father said something that caught his ear, "So are you wanting something to boost your already high ego? Son, I've noticed recently that your ego has gotten out of control. You're strong, that's for sure, but... your ego is what's preventing me from praising you. To add to it, you're too ruthless."

"Too ruthless?"

"Let me ask you something. Would a normal brother nearly kill his sisters in normal sparring duel?"

"I..."

"Or would he nearly kill every classmate that even looks at him the wrong way?"

"..."

Cobalt eased on his son as he walked away, "You're way too out of control. I raised you better than this Quartz...," Quartz gritted his teeth as he walked out the door, and slamming it before leaving his father in a look of disappointment. He turned around to see all of his wives and kids looking from the hallway near him. He sighed as he walked towards them. Silver moved her sisters into her room, leaving the parents alone, "We really need to get through to him...," Cobalt walked up to his wives, and hugged them all.

Meanwhile, Quartz walked along a broken down neighborhood. He kicked around a can on the sidewalk as he mumbled to himself, "Ruthless my ass. You're such an idiot father. And you call yourself a genius. Hmph...," Quartz kicked the can once more before it was kicked back at him with a large amount of force. Quartz reacted calmly, and stopped the can in midair with a force field.

Quartz looked up to see some teens about his age. The teens recognized him, "Well looky here boys. It's Quartz, son of the Emperor. Living the high life, huh?"

"I don't have to deal with all of you. You should pick on my family, but not me," Quartz continued walking, but one the leader of the teens stepped in front of him.

"Oh, what's wrong? Can't take what we say?"

"Nah, I don't feel like hearing lip from a bunch of low-class heathens such as yourselves. My family will show mercy to you, but I won't... if you provoke me."

"Oh, if we provoke you?" The teens surrounded him, and they manifested swords, spears, or any other type of weapon, "Let us remind you that we outnumber you. Let's see where your ego can get you..."

"Let's see where your stupidity can get you boys...," Quartz spawned a spear that looked heavier than Cobalt's, and had a whole different look all together, "Let's get this going...," All the boys charged him all at once, but Quartz teleported into the ground, causing the teens to collide with each other.

"Where'd you go you little runt?!"

Behind one of the teens, a pair of legs grabbed his head, and flipped them over. Quartz stood over the teen, and kicked his head fiercely, knocking them out. Quartz then stared at the rest of them before moving to attack.

He jabbed his spear into one of teens legs, and spun him around him, knocking the teen into the others. Once the teen fell off Quartz spear, he looked on without a change in his facial expression, "Should've just said your comment and left. You should think twice about your actions."

"There's still more of us that you can't see...," Quartz looked around as a bolt of lightning struck beside him. Quartz managed to dodge it, but he didn't see a large hammer coming from beside him. It knocked him into a nearby wall, sending him crashing through it.

Quartz groaned as he jumped back into the fray only to see 50 plus people surrounding him. He was at first shocked before getting confused, "What is...?" He looked at the mass amount of people around him. Teens and adults alike, "Is this... a hit job?"

Quartz held his abdomen as he looked at the odds he faced. It was then he saw in the corner of his eyes. A flash of silver appeared in the distance. Almost instantly, multiple shards of ice shot from the sky. This scattered the mysterious people, causing them to retreat in the process. Quartz withdrew his weapon as Silver landed in front of him with her sword and shield in hand. She turned toward her little brother, and ran towards him. He turned away, afraid to meet her gaze.

"Are you alright Quartz? I was so worried about you when you ran off...," She placed a hand on his shoulder, but he brushed it off.

"You don't have to worry about me. I can handle myself Silver..."

Silver looked down as she stabbed her sword into the ground, causing Quartz to jump a little bit, "Quartz, as your older sister, it's my duty to protect you. I won't be able to live with myself if anything were to happen to you..."

"..."

"Quartz, please stop acting the way you are, or what happened today will not go as it did..."

"I don't need your insight Silver...," Quartz turned away from her, and dissolved his spear before saying, "Thank you though Silver...," Quartz walked away as his sister slowly smiled at him before looking at the retreating mysterious people.

 _Who were those people...?_

Once Silver and Quartz stopped in front of their house, Quartz took one look at his sister. She was clearly quaking in her boots, "What's wrong?"

Silver turned to Quartz, and grabbed his sleeve, "They don't know I'm out. We're out past curfew! Oh we're in so much trouble. I mean they expect it from you, buttheycan' 'sgoingtohappen?!AmIgoingtobegrounded?!OhIcan'teventhinkabout-."

"Silver!" Silver snapped out of her trance like state as Quartz shook her, "It'll be fine. I'll cover up for you. I'll say that you went to find me. You know I'm the one that always gets in trouble, and I don't wanna see you get in trouble nor do I want to see your reputation destroyed over something this controversial."

"But Quartz..."

"Shush up, let's go...," Quartz grabbed his sister's hand, and dragged her across the front of the house. After slowly walking in, they were greeted with everyone.

"It's nice of you to join us you two..."

"Father I can explain-," Silver attempted to speak, but Quartz stopped her.

"She went out to look for me, and she even saved me from a group of attackers. It's my fault we're out past curfew."

"That's not why we're all here. We're here because of that attack."

"Huh?"

Cobalt held his hand up as a massive hologram of the entire mystic realm appeared from his hand, "You see, attacks like that have been reported all over the mystic realm. They've been targeting everyone, and not just high-class officials. It seems it's an attack on our humanity. No one has survived their attacks, except for the two of you. Did you catch anything about them that caught your attention?"

"They had some type of old school military uniforms. Like, back when all of you were still in your 20s...," Cobalt looked at his wives as he showed more pictures, "Did they look like any of these?" It showed multiple colored robes and armor of different colors and designs.

One of them caught the attention of Quartz and Silver, "Right there. That purple and black one. Wait, it looks like the uniform of the Imperial Army now. Why is that a culprit?"

"When I was in the Imperial Army, the main color was purple and black. It may be purple and black now, but there's a distinct difference between the two. Think about the crest on the armor," Everyone scanned and a saw an obvious difference, "See it now? The old crest was of the family of Brisk and Harmony. The present crest is our family crest. With this uniform, people may assume that it's our own army and think it's some controversy."

Then Rarity spoke, "Which is why Cobalt and I will be heading off to investigate these attacks. As for the rest of your mothers, they'll also investigate these attacks."

"Wait, doesn't this mean that all of you will be leaving us alone?"

"Sadly yes, but this means we'll be sending all of you back to the Earth Realm," Cobalt said, but he was nudged by Rarity, causing him to chuckle, "I-I mean... we'll be sending you to the Earth Realm with Thunder as your guardian. Silver, I want you to teach them while they are there."

"Yes Father."

"While we're gone, I don't want any of you to use your powers unless told otherwise."

"What?!" They all responded in unison.

"I told you they would react that way darling. We can't have you raising any suspicions on Earth, our former home. All mystics have already been banned from Earth already, and we don't need them to know we broke the deal."

"But Father, we use out powers for nearly everyday use. How will we survive without them?"

Cobalt looked at his wives and chuckled lightly at them, "Well, your mothers lived for 18 years without powers, and I had to re-earn my powers. If we can do it, I know all of you can do it."

"Hmph...," Quartz looked away from them as he sighed in frustration.

"Problem son?"

"Listen old man, you can't expect us to just drop our powers like that. We've spent our entire lives using them, and you expect us to stop using them? How plausible is that?"

"As disrespectful as that was, Quartz is right. I remember our mother telling us that you used powers everyday on Earth before...," Silver explained, causing him to laugh.

"Yeah, I may have been used to using my powers too much, but that was before the ban on mystics. I made a deal with the world leaders there, and we came to the conclusion that if they see any mystical occurrences, they'll take action. Now, I don't know what they can do, but to avoid any situation as such, we refuse to send anyone there. However, with our current circumstances, it must be done. Also, this will teach all of you control."

"Control?"

"Well...," The girls looked at there geodes, and then Rarity continued, "Apparently, sweeties, your powers affect our geodes. Much like when we were younger, when we used our powers too much, it would cause our geodes and our powers to go all crazy like. For some reason, they've recently started going out of control."

Then Rainbow added her input, "More like for years," Cobalt and the other girls glared at her causing her to lightly chuckle, "Right..."

"This will be a a good experience for all of you while living on Earth while we deal with this situation. We'll try to finish this problem as fast as we can."

"I don't know father... I'm still...," Silver tried to follow up, but she couldn't think of anything. Cobalt walked over to his daughter, and cupped her face.

"Silver, my daughter, I want you to stay strong and watch over your siblings. You are a woman now, and you must learn to take this sort of responsibility," Silver nodded as Cobalt glanced at all his kids, and ushered them to him, "All of you, you're all growing to be fine young people," He then glanced Quartz, "Well, some of you," Quartz turned away from them as his father continued, "Anyway, I know this change will be hard, but this will test all of you well."

"There he goes, giving out some big speech," Rainbow said as they stared at Cobalt while he delivered his little pep-talk.

"But that's why we love him, right? Well, part of the reason...," Rarity trailed off as she stared at her husband. It was hard to believe how far they've come. Rarity is on the Imperial Council with her husband, along with her friends.

She never expected to leave Earth almost permanently, but what can you expect when your husband is the emperor of a of other realm. However, the many years of stress, battles, and politics has taken its toll on Cobalt, and this new problem that has just surfaced might send Cobalt over the edge. Which is something not only Rarity feels, or even his other wives... it's the entire mystic realm.

"I also want to use this as a test to see who would be next to the throne," This caught the attention of all of his kids, "As you know, all this stress I've gotten from all this, and the damages my body had sustained during the Great War, which means I'll have to step down soon enough as I spoke of earlier today. This will be a good test to see who has the most control, and can handle harsh situations like this."

"Harsh?"

"Well, you won't be able to use your powers. So that's one way it's harsh...," Cobalt looked at his wives who all sighed in frustration, "Yeah, but this will be a good way to see if you have control. I can use this one who to choose for the next head of the family," Cobalt then glanced at his wives, and nodded, "You'll all be heading out tomorrow morning. Pack whatever necessities you need, and I'll open a portal to Earth," They all nodded, and Cobalt smiled before standing back up, "Alright, everyone bed time! I think you'll need some rest before heading back to Earth."

Each mother took their kid with them, and left the summer house, leaving Silver, Quartz, Cobalt, and Rarity, "Alright kids, off to your room," Quartz didn't even hesitate when he walked to his room.

As Silver passed her father, and bowed to him, "Good night Father..."

"Good night Silver," Cobalt nodded to acknowledge her bow, and sighed as she walked back to her room. He then turned to his main wife and kissed her on the cheek, "I'll be in my study if you need me Rarity."

"Very well then darling. I'll be waiting for you in our bedroom," Rarity walked off as Cobalt opened a portal to a library of sorts. He snapped his fingers as many lanterns lit the study up.

"This is pretty... lit...," Cobalt chuckled kind of painfully as he said that, "I'm too old to be making a joke like that...," Cobalt walked to a large desk in the middle of the study, and looked at the massive amount of strategies on his desk, "All these strategies for this upcoming war...," Cobalt sighed in frustration as he got to work with finalizing these strategies.

Many hours later, a portal opened for Rarity to walk through, "Cobalt darling, it's nearly midnight. It's time for you to head to bed."

"Rarity sweetie... I'm scared..."

"Of what darling?" Rarity walked up to Cobalt, and hugged him from behind, following it up with a kiss.

"Well, I know a war is brewing now, and it's only a matter of time before it begins. It's best to be prepared for this war then to regret it later. You know, better safe than sorry," Cobalt then grabbed Rarity's hand, "I'm more afraid of losing all of you," Cobalt stood up, and pulled Rarity in for a hug, "That's the last thing I want to happen. It happened once, and I don't want it to happen again..."

"Oh Cobalt...," Rarity cupped his face, and kissed him on the lips lightly, "nothing like that would happen again. We'll be prepared for this battle. With the support we have from the other nations, we'll be prepared for when and if Harmony decides to fight us."

"I don't know... what about the kids? That's the last thing I wanted them to see in their lifetime...," Cobalt trailed off as he hugged Rarity tighter.

"Cobalt darling, your beard is rubbing my forehead," Rarity back up slightly as he chuckled lightly.

"Sorry about, but you did just kiss me just now."

"I know...," Rarity paused for a second before continuing, "but you need to shave that off honey. If you do, these may last longer," Rarity began frenching Cobalt, forcing him onto the desk. Rarity began moaning as she grinded her knee along his pelvis causing him to shudder in light ecstacy.

Cobalt pushed her off, confusing her, "Hold on, let's continue this...," he lifted her up, causing her to shriek slightly, "in our bedroom..."

"Don't forget to set up the sound barrier, or should I do it," Cobalt lightly chuckled as he opened a portal, "Well, I think I should do it."

"Yeah, that would be for the best...," They entered the room for a night of fluffiness..., and the next morning is a day to change the lives of their kids forever...


	2. Chapter 1

Rarity and Cobalt awaited for the rest of their kids to arrive as they fixed themselves up after a long night of... "fun". Rarity was fixing her hair while Cobalt walked back in with a towel covering his pelvis. Rarity turned around, and smiled at him, "Oh, you shaved. Should've done that a long time ago."

"I mean, it'll grow back soon. You know, you never saw me when you were held hostage, and the others abandoned me."

"That's a horrible scene to cut away to..."

"Hear me out, my beard was long, dirty, and unkempt. My ponytail was also unkempt, and extremely long..."

"Wait, wasn't it already unkempt?" Cobalt groaned as Rarity chuckled lightly. She walked up to him, and cupped his face, "Just kidding honey. At least it's not outrageously long like before."

"Wait, my ponytail wasn't cool?" Cobalt turned away and began sulking in the corner, "I thought... it looked... nice..."

"Oh it did, but when you let it down, it made you look feminine...," Cobalt sulked even more as Rarity looked on. She sat back down to fix her hair, and said, "You might want to get ready soon. Fluttershy and Lavender will be here soon, so you might to be dressed when your daughter arrives. Don't you remember what happened when last week?"

"Hm...?"

-1 week ago-

Cobalt and his whole family was lounging around the pool in the backyard of their vacation home. Rarity, and the rest of them were sunbathing along the side of the pool. Well, everyone except Lavender and Cobalt who were atop the high dive.

Lavender shivered in fear as Cobalt stood behind her. Lavender glanced down at the pool below the diving board, "Ah!" Lavender ran over to her dad, and quivered behind him.

"I told you not to look down...," Cobalt sighed as he walked forward, "If you don't mind the height, then jumping off the high dive will be a breeze."

"I don't know father... why did you make this so... high...," Lavender trailed off as she saw a bird fly past them. The high dive went way past the clouds, "Because, this is something all the kids have to go through, and you're the only one who has yet to conquer this."

"But..."

"Don't worry. Think about it this way. The water is your cushion for the hard, dangerous ground below," Cobalt smiled at his daughter, but she just quivered more.

"Father, that's a horrible way to look at it."

"Yeah, you're right, but uh...," Cobalt trailed off as he thought of a solution to this problem, "I got it!" Cobalt snapped his fingers, "Why don't I picky back you as we dive."

"Huh? Father, I'm not a kid anymore..."

"I guess you don't need me to jump off then...," Cobalt started walk off as he felt someone jump on his back. He stumbled slightly as he looked at Lavender who had hopped on his back, "Alright then, just hold on tight, okay?"

"Yeah," Lavender tightened her grasp around her father's neck causing him to choke a little bit.

"Yeah, not too tight," Lavender did the exact opposite, and squeezed tighter, "Just like your mother when she did this...," Cobalt walked to the edge, and took a deep breath, "Alright, on 3. 1, 3!" Cobalt skipped 2, and instantly jumped down.

Lavender started screaming while Cobalt was laughing with joy the whole time, "DAAAAAAAD!" Lavender yelled in pure fear.

Cobalt just looked back and said, "I'm having fun too!" Cobalt began curling into a cannonball type of shape as Lavender increased the grip on her father's neck, "Super double cannonball!" As they came in contact with the water, the splash was so huge, it soaked everyone around the pool.

Bubbles rose from the bottom as everyone stared at the area they dove through, "Honey?" Rarity asked.

They soon saw ripples within the water as Cobalt and Lavender came up from the bottom. Everyone stared at Lavender as they waited for a reaction, "So, what'd ya' think sweetie?" Cobalt asked awaiting an answer.

"Well...," She trailed off for a short second before a large smile grew on her face, "That was cool! Thank you father!" Lavender hugged her father as he smiled at her.

"Well, that was the last kid to jump off the high dive. So I think we've had enough time out here. It's getting pretty late," Everyone nodded as they began to head out. Once Cobalt stepped out the pool, he heard Lavender scream, "Huh? What's wrong Lavender?"

"Father!" Cobalt was confused as Lavender averted her eyes, so he looked at everyone else. All of his kids looked away in disgust, and all of his wifes either had a face of disappointment or a look of embarrassment.

Rarity walked up to him and said, "Don't you feel a breeze on a certain area of your body?"

"Hm, now that you say it. I do feel...," Cobalt trailed off and looked down. He froze for a good bit before disappearing into the ground.

"There he goes... he's such an idiot...," Rarity face palmed as he said this, and looked at her friends, "But that's why we love him, right?" They all nodded in agreement as they looked at where Cobalt disappeared to.

-Present Time-

"Hm, yeah, that was a long cut away..."

"Yes it was. Now get dressed. They'll be here soon," Rarity got back to fixing herself up as Cobalt spun in place as he now had a pair of jeans, a shirt, and some combat boots, "Good, now go check if the kids have packed up already."

"Gotcha'," Cobalt kissed Rarity on her cheek as he walked outside to see Silver patiently waiting, "Silver?"

"Oh, good morning father. How are you this morning?"

"I'm doing fine. Just wondering why you're already waiting out here. They won't be here for another 15 minutes."

"It's best if I'm early...," Silver trailed off as she glanced at the floor. As the concerned father he was, Cobalt sat beside his daughter.

"Silver, my daughter, is something the matter?"

"I'm sorry, I was just thinking...," She trailed off, and she kind of didn't want to say anything. This caused Cobalt to placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Silver, tell me. I don't want you to be down like this. What's the matter sweetheart?"

"Well, I was just wondering when I was going to get married..."

"Huh?"

"You married mom when you were 23, and I'm 20 right now. What happens if I don't get married?"

"We could always...," Before Cobalt could finish, Silver stopped him.

"I don't want an arranged marriage. I want my lover's love for me to be genuine, and vice-versa. I want a real relationship like you and mom."

"I know. I'm not the one to force into an arranged marriage, but you didn't really make any friends in school. From what I was told by your sisters, they said that you've never had any friends, and you rejected every boy that asked you out. I mean, I did the same, but I had a reason. Unless you had a reason equivalent to mine, then I would understand. Other than that, I don't see why."

Silver fidgeted in her seat causing Cobalt to chuckle a little, "What?"

"There is something that's causing this. Did you meet someone outside of school? Or do you not want to think about marriage just yet?"

Silver stood quiet before Quartz walked into the living room, "Good morning brother..."

"Morning Silver, Old man," Cobalt sighed as he stood up from the couch, and walked back towards his room.

"They'll be here soon, so be sure to be ready," Cobalt left the two siblings alone with nothing to do. Quartz collapsed onto the couch and sighed in frustration.

"So, are you alright Silver?"

"Yeah, why do you ask?"

"Well, you look like a sad puppy, and after last night's discussion. Are you geared up for that?" Silver sat idle as Quartz stood up to take a seat beside her. He then wrapped his arm around her, and coddled her.

"Huh? Quartz..."

"This isn't like you. You're usually vigilant, so it's unusual to see you this way. What's the matter?"

Silver remained silent before leaning her head on her younger brother's shoulder. Even if she was older, Quartz was tall. He was slightly shorter than their father, but he was still tall for his age. To add to it, he was beefy as well. Not fat, but he was extremely toned, "Do you think you're ever going to get married Quartz?"

"Probably not, but why do you ask?"

Silver fiddled around with her skirt, and sighed, "I... don't think I'm gonna be betrothed to anyone..."

"Why do you say that?"

"I've rejected every guy that has ever asked me out. I don't know why either..."

"Hm, that's weird. I didn't attend your school when you were there, so I don't really know anything about what your school life was like. However, you should've given any of those guys a chance."

"I know, I just felt like they asked me out for my looks rather than my personality. A lot of girls hated me too since I had all the guys asking me out instead of them."

"Actually, a few girls have asked me already," Silver jumped up, and grabbed her brother's shirt collar.

"T-That's unacceptable! I can't have you dating any other girl!"

"Geez, ease up on the collar. I turned them down. Besides, why should you care?"

"O-Oh... b-because... uh...," Silver trailed off as she grew too embarrassed to continue.

"I don't even know if I'll ever marry anyone. I'm not good enough for anyone..."

"That's not true!" Silver retorted, "You just haven't found a reason to be like us. Maybe you find your goal, perhaps you'll change as a person."

"I sure hope you're right Silver...," Quartz trailed off as he stared out the window. He grew a confused expression across his face as he stared at the sky. Kind of like he felt like something was off, _"Why do I feel this way...?"_

A few minutes later everyone arrived, and the kids were all ready to head off to Earth. Cobalt's kids lined up in front of him as he paced back and forth in front of them, "I hope you kids have a nice trip. Thunder here will watch over you just in case something bad happens here or there. Until then you will all be-," Before Cobalt could finish, his wrist began ringing.

"Who is it?" Rarity asked.

"It's Scarlet...," Cobalt answered it to see a distressed Scarlet, and behind was mass destruction, "Scarlet?!"

"Cobalt, the capitol is being besieged by an unknown enemy. They're dropping bombs, and killing everything here! We need assistance!"

"Are council members secured?!"

"We couldn't get to the fallout shelter, so they're in the meeting room! We have it barricaded, and we're ready for them! However, they've broken through the courtyard defenses. We don't how much time we have left!"

Massive explosions can be heard in the background as Cobalt gritted his teeth, "Scarlet!"

"Yes sir?!"

"Get-," Again before Cobalt could finish, a massive explosion erupted close to their house. Screams of panic and agony sounded throughout the town, "What the hell? What the hell...?"

"Cobalt!" Scarlet yelled, "What do you need?!"

"Me and my wives will be there soon. We're sending the kids to a safe place first. Just hold tight. Reinforcements are on their way."

"Please hurry sir!" Scarlet's hologram disappeared as he looked at his family, and then at Thunder.

"Thunder teleport to the capitol and reinforce their defenses. I'm sorry kids, but you're gonna have to-."

"Father!" Silver yelled and pointed towards the sky as a massive missile was inching closer to them.

"Barriers!" Cobalt, Twilight, Quartz,  
and Silver put up their own barriers to stop the missle, but the missile broke through their combined barrier with ease. The explosion sent everyone flying, and it destroyed the house.

Once the smoke cleared, everyone was lying on the ground, and were surrounded by piles of rubble. The town was in panic, and more explosions followed afterwards.

Cobalt and his wives slowly got up, and they all nodded at each other, "I'm sorry kids, but you gotta get somewhere safe. Ready?" His wives nodded to him as they all held their hands up.

"Father, what's going?!" Silver asked, but their parents began chanting some foreign language they couldn't understand. Their hands began to glow as their bodies began to disintegrate piece by piece, "Father!"

Silver attempted to run to her father, but they soon disappeared into nothingness. Once their chanting was complete, they all collapsed to the ground lifeless.

 _This was the beginning of a war. A war that could end life for everyone as they knew it. This was going to be a war worse than The Great War, and now... it's up to my children... to save everyone..._

Meanwhile in a large room that resembled a war room stood in the middle of it all, was Harmony. She was accompanied by a rather interesting creature. That creature began to speak, "Such deatruction! Glorious Harmony. Now, how about we see these old friends of yours?"

"Not just yet. I'll deal with Cobalt and his friends soon enough. I wanna see his kids' reaction to this once they wake back up from that forced teleportion. Well, that's if they survive these harsh conditions... muhahaha!"

"Ooo, your evil laugh is improving Harmony. Excellent!"

On one of the computer scenes that showed mass destruction showed Cobalt's kids... unconscious in a barren, frozen wasteland...

* * *

A/N: Oh wow, look at that. A whole new concept. Snowy wasteland? Missiles? I think it's about to get modern here. Anyway, I hope all of you enjoyed this chapter. I'll be sure to start back up "A whole new world" soon enough. Still haven't started college yet, but I already have my first assignment that's due next Tuesday. So I'll busy for a bit.

Anyway, I hope to see all of you wonderful people in the next chapter!


	3. Chapter 2

Quartz eyes fluttered open as he glanced at his surroundings, "Where am I...?" Quartz stood up slowly, and instantly felt a shiver down his spine, "It's cold as all living hell...," He glanced around once more to see a barren, snowy wasteland, "Where are we?" He looked to see if his siblings were awake, and none of them were there. In fact, he didn't see... any of them, "Huh?"

Meanwhile, Silver and the rest of her sisters awoke in a cabin of some sort. Silver was the only one awake, and the cabin was somewhat empty. Apart from her sisters, there was another man inside. He was watching outside, possibly on look out.

"Excuse me?" Silver spoke, which caused the man to look at her.

"You're awake. That's good... it's a pleasure to meet you acquittance your majesty...," The man bowed before her. However, Silver was curious about where she was, and how this man was dressed.

"Wait, I'm not a queen or anything."

"But you're the emperor's daughter, correct? You're still royalty. Either way, I don't know why you're here...," He trailed off as he scanned outside, "this place is a warzone."

"What do you mean? Where are we?"

"Ah, that should've been expected."

"What are you talking about?"

The man sighed as he stood turned to her direction, "I have been rude, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Platinum Storm. I'm a freedom fighter for this nation in the mystic realm."

"Huh? Which nation is that?"

"The forgotten nation. The nation of Uskain."

"Uskain? I thought that nation was destroyed decades ago..."

"It was, but after it was rebuilt, it was lost in the sands of time. The reason for that was because our nation, once it was rebuilt, decided to become it's own type of world. It broke away from the rule of the mystic realm, and became independent. Our leader decided that it was her chance to rule with an iron fist. She doesn't help people of the lower class, and only caters to those of a higher rank in society. Which is why, the nation is in the middle of a civil war."

"Civil war? How come we've never heard of this?"

"Your father wanted nothing to do with this civil war. He didn't want to take part in it. He didn't want to fight for either side. However, he did want to help the resistance, but the vote ended in favor of staying out of it."

"Whose decision was that?"

Platinum stood silent for a second, and glared at Silver, "Your mother..."

"What?"

"Look, I don't know why you're here, but you shouldn't be here. This place is chaotic, and many resistance dislike Cobalt a lot. If they get news that his kids are here, it could turn into pandemonium. Wait, where's your brother?"

"Huh? Wasn't he there with us?"

"No, it was just your sisters," Silver looked around as a look of fear grew on her face, "No...," Platinum stood up, and walked over to a nearby closet, "If he's out there in that barren wasteland, he won't survive long. If the cold doesn't kill him firat, then the government's army will..."

Silver feared the worst for her brother, and she was right to be in fear.

Meanwhile, back where Cobalt and his friends laid lifeless, they awoke to see their once lively town into a town of destruction. Cobalt slowly stood up as he glanced at the destruction.

"There's no way just anyone could've done this...," He trailed off as he glanced at his wives who were all unconscious on the ground. He ran to them to check their vital signs, "Their bodies aren't like us mystics. They don't have healing factors. I hope they're alright..."

Cobalt soon heard Rarity cough before slowly rising up, "Ugh, darling?"

"Rarity!" Cobalt tackled Rarity for a hug.

"Cobalt, where are the kids?"

"I teleported them away from this area-."

"To where?" Cobalt fell silent as he stared at the ground, "Cobalt, darling. Where. Are. They?" Cobalt looked at her, and parted his mouth.

...

...

...

"WHAT?!"

Back with Quartz, he glanced at his surroundings, and saw a large runway of some type, "A runway? Am I near some type of airport of some type? This means I'm on-."

"Halt right there?" Quartz turned around to see multiple men in kevlar vests, and rifles surrounding him.

"I'm definitely not in the mystic realm.

"Well, well, well, looks like the emperor finally sent some help for our Queen."

"Okay, scratch that..."

"Hm, ah, it's his incompetent son. That's not much help," Quartz got angry at that comment, but he soon stopped to think.

Wait, he knows I'm the son of Cobalt, but they don't have weapons that our own army uses. I know for sure they don't have powers. I doubt Earth knows of his kids...

"Oh, that seems about right that Cobalt didn't tell his kids about our nation. Allow us to introduce ourselves. We are soldiers of the Queen of Uskain."

"Uskain? That nation that became it's own world decades ago?"

"Oh, so you know of that? That's good. Well, do you know of the civil war here?"

"Civil war?"

"Why yes, and we requested help from your father to help our queen. However, your mother and her friends all voted against helping us or the resistance. They said they wanted no part in this. And now we hear that they're being attacked. Would've been nice to have some help from us now isn't it?"

"Wait, if you're all mystics, why are you using firearms?"

The lead soldier held up his rifle, snd laughed, "We realized that ancient warfare was just too barbaric. Once we created these, it made the war easier. Well, that was until some of the Resistance got their hands on some of our firearms. However, if you're here, your sisters will be here too. But where are they?"

"I was with them not long ago..."

"Hmph, perhaps we can help you find them. If they're out in that snowy wasteland, then they won't survive long. That's not if the Resistance finds them first. The Resistance soldiers are barbaric. You better hope they don't rape them before we find them, huh?"

Quartz stepped back and balled his fist fiercely, "They wouldn't let that happen. I know they wouldn't. They're too strong for that..."

"You say that now, but those Resistance soldiers are relentless..."

The thought of his sisters being raped flooded his mind. He shook his head as he looked at them, "Alright, please help me find them."

"Very well, sorry for giving you a scare there. We just can't take risks. We know the trouble your family is in, and we would like to help you," Quartz nodded as he stared at their leader, "You can call me Captain Wrinkles. We're part of the elite task force team known as the Covert Division. We're stationed out here in this barren wasteland. We know this place like the back of our rifles. We'll find your sisters in no time."

Quartz stayed silent as he followed the captain to the base close by. The only thought that crossed his mind... was the thought of his sisters being raped by anyone...

Back with Cobalt and his wives, Cobalt was kneeling in front of his wives, who were looking at him with fierce glares, "I know all of you are mad at me, but it takes them all way from this."

"And sending them to Uskain is any better?! There's a reason we voted against taking part in their civil war Cobalt!" Rarity retaliated.

"And where else would I send them?! Earth?! That'd be the first place these hooligans would check. It's best if we send them somewhere not even known to the public...," Cobalt looked at the destruction around him. and he sighed in frustration, "I don't know who's causing this, but my gut is telling me that Harmony is making her move."

"What are we to do? We don't know the size of Harmony's army. And judging by the destruction here, and possibly all over the mystic realm... she could have an army that surpasses even ours...," Everyone nodded in fear that Harmony's army could out match their highly trained army.

"This can't be done by Harmony and her army alone. She must've gotten some help from a much more dangerous enemy. The question is... who?"

"Who you may ask?" A weird, dragon-like creature floated to them. One individual accompanied him, and that individual was Harmony, "Greetings friends!"

"Harmony..., and... Discord?"

"Discord?" The girls questioned him, and he looked at them in confusion.

"Haven't Princess Twilight told you about him? I know for sure she told you about Discord Sunset..."

"Yeah, she has. Discord is the spirit of chaos and disharmony who once ruled over the realm of Equestria."

"What?" The others ask in shock.

Cobalt then continued for Sunset, "He was imprisoned long ago, but broke free only to be imprisoned again. Then, Princess Celestia gave him a chance to be reformed. So my question is: Why are you here in the mystic realm? Has the power of friendship left your brain?"

"Oh, well, many would be angry that this is happening. Probably the folks reading this, but I must concur that my actions here are not of friendship..., but of chaos and entropy."

"You just broke the fourth wall, and used two words that have the same meaning. You're quite the sickening man," Cobalt then glanced at Harmony, "And I see you have a friend with you."

"Oh Cobalt my dear, I'm so glad to see how well you've grown. You look extremely handsome...," Harmony said seductively.

"Oh my he does. You weren't kidding when you said he was handsome."

Cobalt looked on in disgust as he stepped back. He prepared to retaliate at any given moment, "So, you plan to spread chaos once again huh? Hmph, wait until Princess Celestia hears about this..."

"I'm afraid, that won't be happening anytime soon. For you see," Soon, the pony versions of the girls appeared around them. They were lead by the Princesses of Equestria. Twilight, Luna, Cadence..., and Celestia, " I'm not alone..."

Surrounding the city were multiple banners of other family crests. Discord chuckled as he flew up, "I would love to see how this turns out for you, but I must spread more chaos throughout the mystic realm. Harmony, do show our friends here a good time. Ta-ta!"

Discord was soon off, leaving Harmony with our heroes, "Princess Twilight, Celestia... all of you. What's going on here Harmony?"

"I have no clue, but I was promised you. Oh, and those girls to be burnt at the stake."

Cobalt stood in front them as if he was an impenetrable wall, "That won't be happening. If you're taking me prisoner, then keep them alive and well. Leave them out of this."

"To be honest, the only one I want dead...," She shot a glare at Rarity, "is you Rarity," Cobalt held Rarity behind him, angering Harmony, "Get away from him!" She charged towards them, and they got ready to fight for their lives.

Meanwhile, back with Silver, her sisters were still out, and she was speaking to Platinum about finding Quartz, "If we're finding your brother, he shouldn't far from us. It may be a longshot, but I feel as if government soldiers have already found them. Hopefully, the right ones..."

"Right ones? What do you mean?"

"There are some government soldiers that don't necessarily like how the Queen rules. They don't like her terrible way of treating the people."

"So they secretly help the resistance?"

"Correct that's how we have these," Platinum held a handgun up, and pointed it at Silver.

"That's a..."

"I know. These are banned from the mystic realm, but since we're our own government, it's a daily necessity here," He put it away as he glanced outside again, "I don't want to teach any of you how to use one. I'm pretty sure all of you are trained in combat, correct?"

"Yes."

"Alright, if they found him, they'll try to train him, and have him blend in with the army. When he's earned the trust of the Queen and her officials, he'll be brought to us."

"Wait, how long does that take?"

"Depending on his charisma and ability in combat, it may take a few months."

"Months?!" Platinum placed a hand on her mouth as voices began to speak.

"Did you hear that? I think I'm hearing things now..."

"There's alway soldiers parole here. The last thing I need is to be found out. Luckily, these soldiers are idiots. They'll leave once night rolls around. For now, you're all stuck here," Platinum moved his hand away, and moved back on watch.

"What? Can't we just teleport to the Queen, and end her reign?"

"Because...," Platinum trailed off as he glanced at his hand, "magic no longer works here in Uskain anymore..."


	4. Chapter 3

"Now Quartz, we know you've been trained in combat well, but we need to know how well you act in certain conditions. While you may think of these way as unethical, please allow me to change how you think. Please follow us."

"Alright?" Quartz followed the captain through a large training facility. He saw many other men and women training in firearms, hand-to-hand combat, and even crafting items from certain items, "Is training usually this elaborate for this army?"

"Correct. You'll usually see many types of unusual training. But for you, you won't be needing any of that. We'll be testing your mental capacity."

"Mental capacity?"

"As I explained before, we'll see how well you do under harsh conditions. Kind of a mental test to see what would happen if this were to happen. This test will be a way to see how you act in a peculiar situation. Itll test how you assess certain water situations."

"Okay?"

"Let's begin. Sit on that chair there Quartz," There was a random chair in the middle of a floor. Quartz tried his best to scan the stress in front of him, but he couldn't, "Can't scan it can you?"

"No, why can't I scan the area for any danger?"

"Magic is no longer exists in this part of the world."

"Huh?"

Both the captain and Platinum began explaining the cause of this phenomenon,"In this part of the world, magic seemed to have slowly dissipated over time. Now, only a handful of people in this part of the world can use magic. One of those few is the queen. However, it is unknown who the others are. For now, the queen is the only one that can still use magic."

"...," This caused both Silver and Quartz to fall silent and respond in unison,"That's insane..."

"Yeah it is. Anyway, Quartz, sit on that chair," Quartz stared at his hand and realized that his only real source of power is nonexistent. It took a little to take in, but he soon snapped out of it before moving once again.

"Alright," Quartz walked over to the chair, and took a deep breath before sitting in the chair. Instantly, a bag went over his head, and he was bound in a strait jacket, "What the hell is going on?!"

"It's the test! You must learn to escape this situation before you're drowned in this glass box," Soon, water began to fill the glass container as Quartz slowly began to panic. However, he took a deep breath, and slowly began thinking.

 _"This strait jacket looks old. Maybe from the multiple uses for this inhumane test. This can be easily melted by fire, but magic is no longer in my corner. If I'm going to get out of this I may have to think about how this will happen. I know how to escape this pretty well. Or you know, they didn't search me before I came in here so..._

Quartz began to move his arms a little until something sharp slipped into his hand. Slowly but surely, Quartz began cutting his way through the strait jacket. Once his one arm was free, he placed his hand over his head to bring his arms around, and glanced outside. He sighed and ran up the glass container, nearly slipping, and easily hopped out the container. His shoes were wet from the water, but he was fine nonetheless.

"Wow, I guess we should've checked you for any items before the test. Hm, but that would be a good skill. Where was that knife?"

Quartz looked at the knife in his hand as it slowly began morphing to his skin which surprised the captain, "This knife was something one of my aunts created. It's a special blade that can protrude from my skin at any time I want it to. Even if I was searched for it, no one can be able to take it out unless they cut my arm open to take it out."

"So it's like a retractable knife inside your forearm... fascinating. And it doesn't use any type of magic?"

"No, I have to flex a little for it to come out. My aunt never got to work around it. It was suppose to be created for spies of the Imperial Army."

"That's amazing. Well, not only did you escape in record time, but you've shown us something the queen would love to see."

"The queen? Will you take me to her?"

"Yes, and actually, she's been wanting to meet you ever since she heard about you from your father."

"Really now?"

"Yes. In fact, she's your age."

...

...

...

"Huh?"

Meanwhile with Silver..., "The queen and my brother are the same age?" Silver ask in surprise.

"Yeah, and she's quite fond of him too. I remember hearing rumors that if she ever sees him in person...," Platinum trailed off and looked at Silver, "she would marry him."

Silver's eyes widened as she looked towards the North, "No..."

Back with Quartz, the captain was walking him down a long hallway which led to a massive door, "Wait, I don't know if I should meet this queen. I had just arrived here, so why would I meet her after only 30 minutes here?"

"Because she wants to meet you. Once she heard you were here, she wanted to meet you. Come on, you don't want to keep the queen waiting," The captain ordered two men behind Quartz to open the door. Behind the door, across the room watching over from a balcony. The light breeze from the height of the room caused her sepia-colored hair to flow lightly.

The figure slowly turned to reveal a beautiful young girl that is indeed around the same age as Quartz. This caused Quartz's heart to lightly flutter, "That's the queen?"

"Yes, quite a beaut isn't she?" Quartz remained silent as the captain pushed him in, "Go on lad!"

"Quartz? Shining Quartz, or shall I call you Quartz Belle?"

"Just Quartz, thank you. Your highness..."

"Quartz, it is an honor to meet the son of the Emperor."

"No? Why do you say no? This is great. With your brother marrying the queen, it would be a perfect chance to take her out while your brother has her trust."

"I don't know how to feel about this. I don't like the thought of my brother marrying someone I haven't met before. I don't want him to marry this queen... especially after hearing about all these rumors about her..."

"It's what we're gonna have to do. I can trust your brother, correct?"Silver hesitantly nodded as Platinum sighed, "Good, all we can do now is wait for the signal..."

However, that's not what she was worried about...

Quartz stood in front of the apparent Queen of Uskain, "Quartz, if I may ask the reason of your arrival to Uskain?"

"Right," Quartz was so enamored by get beauty that he was distracted for that split second, "Well, your majesty..."

"Please, call me Alicia."

"Alicia?" _Such a weird name_ , "Well, Alicia, my father teleported my sisters and I here. You see, the mainland of the mystic realm is under attack by an unknown army. I guess to jeep is out of the crossfire, he sent us here. He may even want us to obtain help."

"I see, perhaps I can be of assistance. However, we cannot be of any help right now. The Resistance had made it hard for us to keep any ample provisions and soldiers. The citizens of Uskain grow in fear for whenever their town or village may be next."

"I see, then asking for reinforcements is out of the question at the moment, right?" Alicia nodded causing Quartz to sigh, "Well, what can I do to help?"

"I would say possibly showing you around town, and introducing you to your new partner. You've already met your captain, but that's only for your squad operations. Right now, you'll be assigned a partner."

"Partner? I don't know Alicia. I don't know if you've realized yet, but I don't work well with others."

"Quartz, I know your past, but right now, I want this war to end," Alicia then starred back outside her large balcony. She walked onto the terrace, and Quartz followed. Once he stepped outside, he was amazed at the beauty he saw. The town looked medieval, and the trees that surrounded the village and castle looked amazing. Even if this lost country used firearms, he could tell they weren't exactly evolved with technology just yet, "I'm afraid what this civil war would do to the people and the towns."

"Alicia, if I may ask, I just came from a snowy wasteland, but now I'm in this calm, Spring-like environment. Why is that?"

"Me."

...

...

...

"No bullshitting, are you serious?"

"Yes, since we are at the lowest point of the world, we won't get the best weather throughout the year. Since I'm the only one in Uskain that can use their magic powers, I created 4 regions with different climates throughout the whole year. The capitol with has Spring-like temperatures and is in the middle of Uskain. The two sides of Uskain harness a Summer-like climate. To the north is a Autumn-like climate, and down south is the Winter, snow, barren wasteland you had just witnessed."

"I see, your magic must be powerful. You might even match my father."

"My family has a long list of powerful mystics. Your father once visited my mother and father a few times before they died."

"O-Oh, your parents are dead...," Quartz trailed off as he heard her mention the death of her parents, "I'm sorry Alicia."

"No, they just couldn't handle the stress of the war, and they slowly succumbed to an illness of some sort, and with no older siblings, I was forced to become the Queen of Uskain. Or should I say, the Queen of a Fallen Empire."

"Fallen Empire?"

"It was my grandfather's foolish choice to become a city-state, and break away from your father's laws. He wanted land for himself. He wanted all the wealth, women, and wine he could get his grubby little hands on. Even if it meant tormenting the poor. Anyone who weren't against his laws were made high court officials, or were paid well. Soon, some of the citizens began disliking the ruling of my family, and rose in rebellion."

"Which sparked this civil war, correct?"

"Yes, my grandfather was assassinated by his own adopted grandson, Platinum Storm..."

* * *

Cobalt and his wives were now tied up, and were in front of Harmony and the pony versions of the girls. Cobalt and Twilight stood stone stoll while the others either pleaded, or glared at Harmony.

"Oh Cobalt my dear, I want to ask again. Where are your children?"

"They're not anywhere near here. You'll have to search for them yourselves."

"Now Cobalt, I really, really... really," Harmony began twirling a karmabit knife that had something oozing from the end, "Don't want to hurt you," She brought the blade close to Cobalt's neck, and his eyes widened at the substance on the blades tip.

"Is that... plasma? So you plan on killing me if I don't tell you?"

"Oh, why would I kill you? I want you and your body. I can't do that if you're dead. Although, I would love to kill Rarity over here," She then began tracing her knife along Rarity's skin, "Or I could have some of my men rape her. They haven't been able to release their desires ever since we conquered the lands of Eqeustria."

"You had them rape these ponies? That's sickening..."

"Well, they had to paid somehow. You'd be amazed at the power they gained after raping them. Especially Princess Celestia."

Cobalt gripped his hand tightly as he looked at Harmony, "Look, you can do as you please with me. Just leave my wives out of this."

"Oh, but I want my revenge on this whore!" Harmony stabbed the air beside Rarity, causing a sonic wave to hit around the area, "But fine, I'll let them go. After my men rape her. Boys!" Multiple men of different sizes stepped up to them.

Cobalt looked at Twilight. They nodded at each other, "You may have forgotten that we have the two smartest people in the mystic realm right here!" Multiple turrets rose from the ground, and began firing non-lethal rounds into Harmony's army.

Cobalt then spun into the ground, and released his wives from their clutches, "Girls...," Cobalt looked at them, "I'm sorry..."

"What do you mean Cobalt!" Cobalt held his hand up as a flash light filled their vision.

...

...

...

...


	5. Chapter 4

"Platinum, how old are you? You look to be the same age as my father when I was a kid."

"You're partially right. I'm 35 right now. I've been fighting for The Resistance for the last 15 years."

"I see... 15 years huh..."

"I'm the one that started this civil war," Silver looked at Platinum wide eyed. Platinum spoke again, "To answer the question your thinking, I started it by killing one of the Kings of Ukrain, or more known as... my grandfather..."

Back with Quartz and Alicia, "Wait, then that means you have an older brother. Why would your brother want to kill you and ruin this peace here."

"Well, at first it was just to stop the rule of our grandfather, but he soon grew fearful that our parents were like our grandfather when in reality...," Alicia trailed off as she stared at Quartz, "Quartz, I'm nothing like my grandfather. My parents and I only had wished to gain the respect that we had lost when our grandfather was ruler. I've tried hard, and I'm close to earning the era of peace and benevolence that was lost during my grandfather's autocracy. However, it won't be very possible with this civil war. I'm just..."

"Afraid to take full action?"

"Yes...," Alicia placed her hands on her heart, and looked down at the village below, "I want this war to end so that the people's suffering may be healed with an era of benevolence. That is all I desire Quartz...," Alicia turned around to the rustling of clothing only to see Quartz kneeling in front of her.

"I now know my goal in life. My goal is to help you create that world of benevolence for you milady. I may he incompetent to many, and that includes my father. However, I will do my best to destroy this incompetence, and replace with what my father would want. Alicia, milady, allow me to become your personal knight."

Alicia knelt down to meet him, and placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to meet her beautiful, youthful face. Their eyes met with a glistening gleam in both of them, and Alicia spoke in her soft, quiet voice, "Of course Quartz. I wouldn't have it any other way," After realizing her close proximity to Quartz, she blushed before standing back up and turning around to hide said blush.

Quartz then stood up as well to see many exotic birds over his head, "Wow, so many species of birds and other animals that I've never seen before. My aunt Fluttershy would love to be here right now..."

Speaking of Fluttershy, Cobalt's wives all awoke within a wooded area that was bursting with nature. The girls stared around in amazement, namely Fluttershy, "Where are we? I've never seen such gorgeous flowers before..."

Twilight held up her hand, and her eyes widened, "Girls, we're in Uskain," They all stared around in awe. Everyone expected Uskain to be a barren wasteland, but what they got was this beautiful forest.

"Twilight deary, are you sure this is Uskain?"

"I'm positive. We are at the most southern tip of the mystic realm. Who knew Uskain was so beautiful. Isn't there a civil war going on?"

Sunset then spoke, "Judging by the area, we may be close to the capitol. Rainbow, do you think you can fly up to get of view of the area."

"I sure can!" Rainbow then ponied-up before flying to the top of the trees to see just that... trees. She flew back down to tell them the news, "Well, it's all trees here. I wouldn't know where to go from here."

"That means we'll have find he capitol through trial and error. Judging by the terrain-," Before Twilight could finish, Fluttershy spoke.

"Twilight, if it's nature we're talking about here, I think I should be the one to do this," As Futtershy said this, a unique bird landed on her shoulder. This bird had an array of colors for its feathers, "Oh, such a beautiful bird. Excuse me, can show us to the capitol?" The bird began chirping elegantly, and flew ahead of them slowly, "This way girls. He said that the capitol is pretty far, so we won't make it on one trip."

"Oh, I just hope our children and Cobalt is alright," Everyone raised an eyebrow at Rarity, causing her to chuckle slightly, "Right, I know Cobalt is now in the clutches of Harmony, but it's good to be optimistic. Or that's what Cobalt tells me," They all nodded as they began following the bird to the capitol.

"You killed your grandfather?"

"Yes, he was a tyrant that started this way of life for the poor. All he cared was women and wine, and not once did he care about the people. He got what was coming to him, and it's what started the civil war."

"I see, then you must want to kill the queen, or your sister to stop their reign, correct?" Platinum nodded in response, "I see, then that means we need to take her out. Once my sisters wake up, we get ready for this plan."

Back with Quartz, he saw that the sun was still in the middle of their view, "So it's still midday. Alicia, may I meet my partner? I'd love to meet this individual."

"Very well, I'll take you to her. She's in the training yard. Let's go," Alicia walked in front of him, and Quartz trailed back slightly. One thought still crossed his mind, and that thought was, "Where are my sisters?"

A few minutes after Platinum and Silver's conversation, the rest of her sisters woke up, "Silver?" Fluffy said as she slowly rose up, "Where are we? And why so it cold?"

"Fluffy, girls, you're finally awake. We're not home anymore."

"What do you mean? Who's that?"

"It's a lot to explain. Long story short, our father sent us to Uskain, but we were separated from Quartz. Platinum here found us unconscious, and brought us here to avoid being caught by government soldiers. We've been here for quite some time."

Lavender looked around at the cabin, a vision flushed into her mind of their father and Fluttershy here when they were much younger, "I feel like our parents know more about this place than they let on. They only told us that Uskain was forgotten about, but I feel that like that's not the whole truth. What if they're hiding something much bigger than we thought?"

This caught the attention of Platinum as he began to think as well, "Now that you mention it. Not many people remember anything from 20 years ago. If anything, everyone feels as if this place was only brought up around 18 years ago," They all looked at each other in confusion and curiosity. Why did they feel like this?

Meanwhile, Alicia and Quartz stepped outside to a training field of some sort to see everyone surrounding someone, "Ah, I see she's already warming up."

"Huh?" Quartz looked on in confusion at the massive crowd surrounding this one person. This one... girl, "Wait, why are they all ganging up on this one girl?"

"You'll see," Alicia and Quartz watched on as the girl cracked her knuckles.

"So who's next? I could use a little more practice before my partner shows up," A small group of soldiers attacked at the same time, but she read each of their movements with ease. She took the first soldier, and threw him into the next wave of them, already taking out most of them.

The next one met a flurry of quick, fierce hits to their pressure points, disabling their movements. The next two attacked with training batons, but she jumped up into splits, and landing on their shoulders. She then took the batons from their hands, and flipped down before hitting them fiercely with their own batons.

The next soldier ran up ready to strike, but she grabbed their abdomen before bringing her keg around her back to kick the soldier with her heal. However, the last soldier had managed to hit her in the back of the head, but she recovered quickly. The soldier came back to attack, but the girl grabbed the baton to pull them into a clothesline.

Around her now were bodies of soldiers who were now knocked out after the beating they had just received, "Who's next?!" She yelled at the top of lungs, causing the group to disperse leaving her a view of Quartz and Alicia, "The queen!" Everyone reacted quickly by kneeling in front of her, "What brings you here milady?"

"Stand down everyone. I'm just here to introduce Saber's new partner."

"My partner is here?"

"Yes, Saber, meet the son of Shining Cobalt, Quartz," Alicia introduced Quartz as he walked up.

"Greetings Nina, you have some real skill their don't you? You may even give my father a run for his money," Quartz held his hand up, and the girl, Saber, shook it.

"Don't mention it. I mean, these are newbies I just fought, but you have real combat experience. I think you would be a better challenge than these newbies. How about it Quartz. You duel me, with real weapons, and I just might consider you my partner."

"Nina, you can't consider him your partner when he's already your partner," Alicia added a frustrated sigh after her statement causing Saber to clear her throat.

"I meant my respect," She then went up to his ear and whispered in it, "And you just might earn the queen's respect," Quartz looked back at Alicia, and then back at Saber, "Do you accept?"

Quartz grew a large grin on his face as he said, "I accept!"

* * *

A/N: I hope everyone knows what I'm doing when I show Platinum and Alicia give different view points towards the war, right? Who do you think is right between the two of them, and why do you think Lavender had that vision? Is it a sign?


	6. Chapter 5

The Main 7 traveled through the forest for quite some time now. It may not have been long in real time, but to them, it has felt like an eternity, "How long have we been going through these woods? It feels like we've been at it for weeks...," Rarity moaned as she stopped to massage her feet.

The bird began tweeting, and Fluttershy sighed, "He says we not even halfway there yet," Everyone groaned as they sat down to rest, "Thank you for your help Mr. Bird, but we'll be taking a rest for the time being," The bird tweeted in response and flew onto a nearby branch. Fluttershy looked on towards the path they were heading, and sighed, "I hope the kids are alright..."

As she said this, the thought of Quartz being with them sent shivers down most of their spines, "Uh, Quartz is with them, right?" They all nodded, "Do you think he hasn't run off without his sisters?" Everyone sat in worry, but Twilight spoke up.

"All of you sell Quartz short a few times when in actuality...," Twilight trailed off before speaking again, "he's a great young man that is misunderstood."

"Misunderstood?" Everyone replied, and Twilight nodded. This caused Fluttershy to speak up.

"I actually agree. I believe the reason he's so hostile to all of you is because of the simple fact that none of you interact with him or show him any love. Namely you Rarity."

"Huh? What are you on about Fluttershy deary?"

"Well, from time to time after he gets into an argument with you or Cobalt, I take time to bring him to my garden. He says my garden really calms his mind, and he loves how we would interact from time to time. Lavender usually joins in too. None of you has ever seen this, but have you ever seen Quartz treat Lavender with any disdain?" They all looked at each, and slowly agreed, "He thinks of Lavender as the perfect big sister. Though he likes that Silver is his full blood sister, he just finds Lavender to fit the picture better than her."

Then Twilight spoke, "And with me, I usually ask him for any help with any weapons, experiments, or technology for the army and such. You may not know it, but Quartz is just as smart as Cobalt was when he was all of your ages, or what I expected him to be. You think Quartz as this incompetent, bratty kid, but in reality, he's just like his father underneath that sour skin."

"I...," Everyone fell silent during their rest, which got Rarity thinking, _"Maybe I haven't been treating Quartz well. It's just that his attitude irritates me so much. I just can't handle it! But I guess I'm at fault too..."_

Meanwhile, Platinum sat with Silver and her sisters in front of a map of the overall area for the capitol, "We have scouts patrol the area 24/7, so if there's anytime there's a change, it gets updated. For the last few months, nothing has changed. We feel as though with your brother there, their defenses may falter due to all their faith going into your brother alone. However, we can't make our move just yet. We want to get signal that the queen has successfully gained full trust from Quartz. Once he does, that's when launch the attack. We're already prepared to truly bring my sister down, along with that castle of hers."

"Wait, what about the village below the castle?"

"..."

Platinum fell silent, which caught the attention of Blaze, "Will you not care about the villagers? What happens if they end up in cross fire?"

Platinum then spoke, "That doesn't matter. Our main goal to free the entire nation of Uskain. A few villagers can be spared to save millions."

"That's insane though. I say we avoid until the villagers are evacuated quickly."

"If we do that, the enemy will have time to counterattack. We must attack with ferocity of a tiger, and the swiftness of a cheetah."

"If we allow that, then wouldn't we be recognized as the enemy?"

"Look, in war, sacrifices are to be made. This small village is a small price to pay to save a larger group of people."

Blaze clenched her fist, but Silver grabbed her hand, loosening it lightly, "Blaze, we're going to have do this. Just don't try to get them into the crossfire. Don't worry...," Even as Silver said, she didn't like this plan at all.

Back with Quartz, he was looking over a rack of armor and weapons. Not any of the weapons was he familiar with, "I've never used a gun before. What the hell am I suppose to do?" He then remember the knife in his wrist, "Twilight put one in each wrist, and they can be as long as I want them. Hm, I've never attempted to block these types of projectiles with them, but there's a first time for everything. He passed by the weapons after coming to this conclusion. However, one did catch his eye, "Huh? This looks like those wrist cannons Pinkie uses."

He examined them and nodded, "They're exactly like those gauntlets. I can't exactly put them on my wrist, but I can put them on my ankles...," He then took them over to the armor rack, and examined the armor, "Hm, I don't want to be too heavy, yet I don't want to be armorless. Let's see...," He glanced over the armor until one unique looking body suit caught his eye.

It had ballistic armor on the torso, shoulders, and legs. It was like a one piece armor suits that was skin tight, "Lightweight, but it's not thick. Maybe if I equip a lightweight vest, and possibly some knee and elbow pads, I can get some decent protection without sacrificing any speed. Perfect," Quartz got to work putting everything on. The one thing that concerned him were the gauntlets. He kicked the ground to get a feel for them, "Not my best idea, but it's what I'll have to work with."

Meanwhile outside, Saber awaited the arrival of her new partner. Soldiers around her began to chat amongst themselves. Most of them saying that he wasn't going to show up, or if he does, he'll be utterly destroyed by Saber. This angered Alicia as she retaliated against their claims, "All this nonsense about Quartz being a coward, or being no match for Saber is just that: Nonsense. Quartz is a strong fighter who has trained with the best. I know for sure he can hold his own against Saber."

Even as she said this, she was still worried about him. She isn't oblivious to the rumors about his incompetence and bad attitude. However, she still had faith in him. This is the man she wants to be her king... her lover... her everlasting partner...

And finally, after much anticipation, Quartz stepped out looking quite well for someone who has never seen this type of equipment before. He stepped in front of Saber, who observed him quickly, "The only thing I see that's a weapon on are those cannon gauntlets on your ankles. Quite a weird place to put them, but is that the only weapon you have. Or do you have something up your sleeves?"

Quartz rubbed his wrists and chuckled, "You could say that. Shall we begin?" Saber nodded. The two then stepped away from each, offering a decent distance away from each other. He then glanced down at his ankles, and took a deep breath.

"First, let's see how your hand-to-hand combat is!" Quartz nodded as he got in a stance, "Right! Let's go!" The two charged at each other rather quickly. Both fighters attacked with lighting fast punches and kicks, but both of them were blocking them with ease.

Saber, who was rough with her attacks attempted to use brute force to block and attack Quartz.

Quartz, who was fluid with his attacks would dodge and attempt to counter Saber's fierce attacks with power to match hers, but the both of them were just too powerful for each other.

The flurry of attacks ended when both of their fists met each other. Both of them glared into each other's eyes with a burning sense of glory in each of them.

 _This energy... I've never felt this sort of energy with anyone before while sparring. Not even against Silver. This... invigorating!_

"Quit the monologues, and get back into the fight!" Saber then pulled a knife with her free hand, and went straight for Quartz's abdomen more than likely going for an artery. However, as if he planned this, he manifested his blade from his wrist, perfectly blocking the knife in its tracks, "Huh? Where did you get that sword?"

"My aunt's own invention!" Quartz then stomped the ground, setting the cannon off, and launching him into the air. He landed on his feet as he manifested his other blade. He brought them together, and grinded them together, creating massive sparks. This shocked not only Saber, but the other soldiers and Alicia. The soldiers soon got riled up, all of them cheering for Quartz.

Alicia's surprised expression soon turned into a look of happiness. Saber only smirked as she brought out a sword of her own. It was wide in girth, and nearly doubled the size of Quartz's swords. He couldn't increase the width or girth of his swords, only their length, "You're not the only one with tricks up their sleeves. Let's go Quartz!" Saber charged full speed at Quartz, and he braced for it.

However, as he began to do this, a necklace on him began to faintly glow. This same necklace began to glow for both Rarity and Silver. This caught the attention of the latter and their companions, "What's going on?"

Rarity then started to explain, "When both Silver and Quartz were born, Cobalt created these necklaces. These necklaces are suppose to show who out of the two of them has found their purpose in life, and what their element is."

"How can you tell who it is?"

"They glow a distinct color based on their name. That's why Cobalt named them after a color or gem. The color that glows shows not only their color, but the element they chose and a symbol representing their purpose in life. Similar to a pony and their cutie mark."

"That's insane. How did Cobalt think of that?"

"Well, he didn't work on this alone. From the minute Silver was born, he anticipated Quartz to be born. So he worked with a small group of individual's. This group named the Order of the Shining Wolf. It consisted of head leaders from Equestria, Fallen Earth, and many more."

"Wait, I thought Fallen Earth was just that: Fallen. Is there still a functional society?"

"Yes, Fallen Earth was once the home to the strongest of Demigods and Demihumans. Even some Demimystics lived, but was soon subjugated for fun. Look, we won't get too much into that, but there were a set number of symbols created for these exact moments. Silver of course chose Ice as her element, and her symbol was a dove to represent peace and benevolence. And for Quartz, his element is... Electricity..."

"That's Electric's element," Rainbow said, "Well, that can give those two a chance to bond, but what's his symbol?"

"His symbol... is one I've... never seen before. Or not one that Cobalt showed me."

"What is it?"

"It's a crescent moon just below a full moon. That's weird because Cobalt has never showed me this. I'm confused...," They all sat confused as they tried to decipher this symbol.

 _So my element is Electricity? Why? Shouldn't it be something else? I can't match Electric in this element. It's literally in her name. So why is it mine?_

"Oh well, let's see if the lack of magic will affect my elemental attacks... it probably will," Quartz brought his blades together, and grinded them together again. As he did this, a lightning fierce aura surrounded his hands and his blades, "Let's do this Saber! Feel the power of Shining Cobalt's son!" Quartz stepped back, and lunged forward with his sword. Lightning shot out as he lunged forward, breaking the guard of Saber, giving him an opening for attack. So he brought his swords around to slash at Saber's abdomen.

But to his surprise, she recovered quickly and retaliated with ease. She blocked his incoming attack, and the two stared daggers into each other, "You just used lightning to break my block. Was that magic or?"

"Nope, just pure lightning aura coming from my body!" The two broke apart, and circled around.

Meanwhile, Quartz's sisters were reacting to Silver's necklace, and the element that was given to him, "So he wields lightning now like you Electric," Silver stated.

"Does this mean I can teach him all I know about electricity?" Silver nodded, causing Electric to pump her fist in the air, "Sweet, I've always wanted to spar and actually spend time with him," This caused both Silver and Lavender look on in jealousy, "Silver, you and Lavender are lucky. You two spend the most time with him, and you don't even give us a chance to at least hang out with him. That's probably why he likes the two of you the most."

"I actually don't think he needs to be taught anything. Quartz may not look it, but he out outmatches all of us in terms of combat, even in knowledge, he out classes us. In the end, Quartz is just like our father, minus the attitude problem."

"But that's because everyone looks down on him because of his attitude problem. If you and your mom had only tried to properly assess the problem with him, he wouldn't be this way. Don't you see how Auntie Fluttershy and Twilight interact with him? That's what our father and your mother should be doing Silver. But instead, they berate him on his behavior rather than actually fix it."

"I know. Inside Quartz, is a heart of gold, and the spirit of justice. However, with how he's treated at home, that light within him just doesn't get to shine. Wherever he is... I hope that light has a chance to shine..."

Quartz and Saber ran around each other before charging at one another. Both had their blades ready to strike. Once they ran past each other, all you heard was the slash of wind and metal. The two had their backs at one another, and then... Quartz collapsed onto his knees, which opened him up for an attack.

Saber was ready to attack, but Quartz anticipated the attack, and parried her, knocking her sword out of her hand and she fell back on to her back. When she tried to get up, Quartz held his blade to her throat. This caused Saber to chuckle, "I guess you win... Quartz," Quartz sighed as he put his blade down, but this one second of vulnerability have her a chance to trip him. She mounted him, and her forearm on his throat keeping him down. She then brought her knife to his face, "Just kidding. Forgot I had this didn't ya'?" Quartz nodded as she got up and offered her hand. Hre took it, and the both were breathing heavily from their spar.

Around them, the soldiers watching began applauding the duel. Alicia walked up to the two with a smile, "So, is he worthy enough to be your partner?"

"Alicia, I knew he would be the best partner I could ask for. I just wanted to have a little fun. Wasn't it fun Quartz?"

"I don't get this type of invigorating duel with my sisters. That was fun," The two strongly clashed their forearms together while the two smile widely at one another.

 _So now I'm officially fighting for the government. Oh well, my goal here is to find my sisters and protect Alicia all while trying to save my home. Let's get this parry started!_


	7. Chapter 6

The Main 7 soon found a small village of some sort protected by a wall, "Is this the capitol?" Rarity asked Fluttershy.

"No, he says we're about a fourth of the way there. At least we're making progress," She then looked up at the sky and sighed, "But it's going to be dark soon. We may have to take the time to stay at a motel nearby."

"Do they have those here? Everything looks medieval in this village..."

"They still had motels and such in the medieval age Rarity...," Twilight told her, "They were all just about the same, but they differed in price. However, I don't think the money of the mystic realm would work here. Uskain doesn't use our currency like the rest of the mystic realm."

"Do you think we can manifest money?"

"I don't know. Let me try," Twilight held her hand up, and said, "Manifest: Uskain Currency," Everyone stood with confusion as nothing happened, "Huh? Manifest: Uskain Currency," Again, nothing happened, "What's going on?"

"Can you not use your magic? I mean, Rainbow ponied up not long ago. Why can't we use our mystic powers, but still be able to pony up?"

They all looked at each other in confusion, and sighed, "I say we attempt to check into one anyway. Maybe since they know we're on the Mystic Council, they'll let us check in for free," Twilight suggested.

"I don't know if that'll work Twilight..."

"It wouldn't hurt to try. We don't have a choice. Let's try that building right there. The sign out front says there's a deal on bedrooms. Let's see," They all walked inside to see here a ringing sound, and a middle-aged man at the front desk turn around.

"Ah, welcome...," The man froze as he saw them, "Y-You're...," The girls began to smile, but only before the man grew a disgusted look on his face, "You're the ones that refused to end this war! Because of you, I can't get any business because the entire nation of Uskain are afraid to leave their own villages! If only you had helped the queen, all of this needless violence could come to an end!"

"Sir, we just need a..."

"No! Out with you! I don't want reputation to be tarnished by housing you heartless rulers!" The man pushed them out with a broom, which annoyed Twilight severely. However, she tried to keep her cool.

"Now sir, I'm sure there's a better way to handle this situ-," The man then pushed them severely with his broom, igniting a spark of anger in Twilight's head. Her geode began to glow as the man began floating in the air. Twilight turned around with a irritated look on her face. This surprised the girls as she began speaking, "Listen here, we are only here for one night. I insist you quit with the shoving, show some respect, and allow us to stay the night. Just one night!" The man began shaking in midair with fear.

Rarity attempted to stop her, "Twilight that's enough! This isn't what Cobalt taught us! Enough!"

"Will you follow my orders, or will I have to punish you peasant!"

"Twilight!" Rarity yelled at the top of her lungs, snapping Twilight out of her state. She dropped the man onto the floor, and he shuffled his way to his desk. Rarity slowly walked to the man, and greeted him, "I'm so very sorry for my friend's actions. I don't know what got over her. I humbly apologize to you."

"N-No, I should be the one apologizing. I am the one that was disrespecting your authority. You may stay in a room. I apologize your highness...," The man went behind his desk, and gave them a key, "There's a family room on the second floor. It may not have a bed for all of you, but I can set some more there if you'd like."

"Uh no thank you. Are you sure you don't want us to pay."

"N-No... no please. You may stay without pay...," The man moved to the back quite quickly. After he did this, Rarity turned around towards Twilight who was obviously in shock about what she had just done.

"Twilight... what just happened to you just now?"

Twilight shook her head as tears began to fill her eyes before running out the building, "Twilight!" Sunset tried to stop her, but AppleJack stopped her.

"Sunset, let 'er go. She needs to think about what just happened. Let's head up to our room..."

Twilight ran through the forest until she found a stump in the middle of the woods. The collapsed onto it as she stared at her hands, _"What was that? Why did I feel such anger in side me? I... never expected that to happen..., but... it worked. Using anger and fear, got what we wanted. This whole time Cobalt told us to treat civilians with benevolence, not fear. However, I just got results faster than benevolence ever did. Wait, what am I saying? I can't use fear... that's... not right..."_

Meanwhile, Quartz and Saber were talking while they were in their new quarters, "So we get our own room together? That's neat," Saber nodded as she hopped on her bed.

"Yes, it's pretty cool, partner...," Saber turned to see Quartz looking at something she couldn't see from where she was, "What's that?"

Quartz quickly put what he was looking at away in his pocket, "It's nothing. Just a locket that my mother gave to me when I was kid. I've cherished it all time...," Quartz trailed off as he grasped it in his pocket. Saber looked at him with a concerned face, but turned around so he couldn't see it.

"You miss your family?"

"Of course, who wouldn't? No matter how you're treated in your family, there's that inch of you that will still cherish and love your family no matter what. Uh, Saber, I'm gonna go out and about for the mean time. Perhaps I'll speak with Alicia. Besides, I'll need some new clothes."

"Alright, see ya' when you get back Quartz."

"You too, Saber...," Quartz walked out of their quarters, and sighed, "Let's see if I can request something from Alicia..."

And with Silver and her sisters, Platinum was already asleep, but the Silver and her sisters were still awake, "So we can't use magic. Oh, but do you think magic items work?" Fluffy asked.

"Huh?"

"Well, I have this magi mirror here that allows us to talk to anyone we know. They don't even need a mirror themselves."

"I don't know, who do you want to talk to?"

"Quartz! I wanna know if our brother is safe Silver!"

"Keep it down. Besides, it only gets one use. Do we really need to use it now?"

"Yes, we need to know if he's safe or not."

Silver was somewhat reluctant to talk to her brother, or to even contact him. She was too afraid to see him once again, "Alright... let's do it..."

"It may take some time for us to establish a connection due to the blizzard outside, but we'll be able to manage just fine nonetheless," Fluffy took out the mirror, and it began levitating in front of them, "Magic Mirror, please allow us to speak to our brother: Shining Quartz."

It soon showed Cobalt walking down a long hallway. He seemed to be casually walking, "Quartz!" He stopped and looked around for the voices.

"It sounds like... Fluffy? Where are you?"

"Quartz, I'm contacting you through the magic mirror that your mother gave me, but oh my... I can't believe you're safe!"

"Yeah, I'm just fine. Some soldiers found me, and brought me to some training facility. Now I'm at the capitol, and I'm in the government's army. Where are all of you? Maybe my partner and I can come save you."

"Uh, we're in a snowy wasteland here in Uskain."

"What? We were so close by. I was there earlier today. Now I'm at the capitol. Sit tight, I'll request immediate extraction from my Queen."

"Quartz, are you saying that you're with the government now?"

"Yes, that's correct? Is something the matter?"

"Well, we were told that once you had gained full trust of the Queen, we would attack with the Resistance. Well, this is prove that you have..."

Quartz fell silent for a short moment ad he looked at his hand. He balled it into a fist and said, "Will you be attacking with them?"

"Y-Yeah..."

"I see, then, I have no choice but to label all of you as my enemy. You may be my sisters, but I will not allow any harm to come to my Queen."

"Quartz."

"I'm sorry, but I found my purpose in life. And that's keeping Queen Alicia safe. Even if it means fighting all of you. Father will have to wait until this war is over."

"Quartz!" Silver yelled, "Will you really risk your life for someone like her? After all her family has done?"

"I don't know what the Resistance told you, but they're false facts. My queen is not what you're being told, and neither are her soldiers. You're all being blinded by those barbaric fools of the Resistance."

"Do you hear yourself Quartz? You sound like you've been brainwashed."

"No, I only know the truth. If only you could see how lively the capitol looks. Queen Alicia did well to atone for her grandfather's sins. Sins that her parents paid the price for. There's no way in hell I'll allow Alicia to suffer the same fate. If this means we'll have to cross paths on the battlefield as enemies, then so be it. I will protect Alicia with my life. Family or not... I will stop anyone who harms her."

"Quartz..."

"Our conversation here is done. Farewell my sisters, I'll greet you with open arms if you ever open your eyes to the lies you're being told...," After this, transmission with Quartz was lost, and Silver held her head down. All of her sisters looked on in shock at what they just heard. Their own brother is now their enemy.

Soon afterwards, tears began to fall down Silver's face, "Silver?"

"Quartz... if you want to betray your family... then so be it. I will cut down that so called queen of yours..., and free you from her clutches... that is how I will save you Quartz," A flame of both vengeance and jealousy filled her eyes, much to Lavender's dismay.

 _"You still have much to learn about your own brother Silver... which is why..."_

Later that night, when everyone was asleep, Lavender covered herself heavily in clothing, and made her way north, or what she thought was north, _"I'll be joining Quartz..., and getting to the bottom of this. I don't know who's right in this civil war, but judging by Quartz's and Silver's reaction... they're both believing in something they want to believe in. However, I care and trust Quartz. Which is why... I'm joining Quartz and this queen. I'm sorry Silver, but I can't follow someone who will hurt the people just to realize their goal. That's not what we were taught by our father."_

Lavender looked towards the snowy sky, and then in front of her. A star shot through the sky, much to Lavender's worry, "Is that? No, I'm sure nothing bad is happening to our father right now..."

Meanwhile, Cobalt was chained to a cobblestone wall in a dungeon of some sort. His chest was riddled with whip marks and stab wounds. Most of them healed from his strong healing factor, but this only made his suffering worst.

Harmony walked in with a cloth and bucket in hand. She set them down in front of him, and began to clean Cobalt's bruised body, "Even after 20 years, you still have the body of a model. That's very impressive. However, I wished these soldiers wouldn't beat on you so much. They're remnants of my brother's army, so I wouldn't expect much. Still, it pains me to see you like this."

"Why? Why must you side with such a monster?" Harmony stopped cleaning and squeezed the cloth tight, "I have no choice. He said he would execute you if I don't show any type of evil in me. You don't know what I went through after that faithful day. I lived in seclusion from everyone because I was afraid to show my face. I never really wanted any of that to happen. My own jealousy just got the best of me. In all honesty, I'm happy for you and your friends. You were able to live a healthy life. Live as the emperor, and as parents."

"Then why? Why are you here now? Can't you fight back?"

"I can't!" Harmony threw the cloth into the bucket and began sobbing into her lap, "I have no allies, and Discord is making none of you do either. Not only is he subjugation other realms and dimensions, but he's going back in time to prevent your family from getting help there. He's already conquered the Romans, the armies of the Warring States era, and the Three Kingdoms of China. He's taking over all of history's strongest warriors to prevent any help for you and your family. All hope is lost Cobalt..."

"I don't think so. I believe that my kids can get us out of this. Since their mothers are in Uskain now, they can gain assistance. I hope..."

"They're still in a civil war Cobalt. There's no way they can get help. If anything, they could die themselves. Cobalt, I desperately need the help of your family. Discord... Discord... he has my daughter, our daughter held captive."

"Daughter?"

"You didn't know? Oh right, well, that last time we had sex before the girls came... got me pregnant. I got pregnant with your child. I gave birth to her after our final battle. Cobalt, we had a kid..."

"No... w-where is she?"

"She's being held captive by Discord somewhere. I don't know exactly. He's keeping me from her. He said he'll kill her if I don't do what he says. He has me by noose Cobalt... there's nothing I can do..."

 _When the hell did this get so bad...?_


	8. Chapter 7

Alicia woke up and stretched as the sun just barely invaded her room, "Another day... in this chaotic world...," She hopped out of bed to see her balcony door open. Confused, she investigated the reason. She was shocked to see Quartz meditating on the railing of the balcony.

"Morning Princess. The view here is amazing, and perfect for my morning meditation."

"Quartz, that's dangerous. Get down from there. Don't you remember our talk from last night?"

-The Previous Night-

After Quartz declared his siblings as his enemy, he went to visit Alicia. He walked up to her bedroom door, and sighed, "Here we go," Quartz held his hand up to knock, and the door open before he could actually knock. Alicia stepped out not seeing Quartz, and running straight into him.

"Huh?" She looked up, and she realized that she was practically hugging him. She quickly backed up, and dusted her nightgown before smiling, "So Quartz, what brings you here tonight?"

"I should be asking the same thing my queen. It seems you were about to leave before you ran into me."

"Oh no reason. Not to visit you or anything. Wait, why are you here Quartz?"

"I came to see you...," A light blush appeared on her face as she turned around. She started fixing her hair and nightgown again as she walked back in.

"Well don't just stand there. Come on in!" Quartz followed her in as Alicia opened the balcony to let the moonlight into her room along with a nice, nightly breeze. This breeze was enough to flow with Alicia's long, sepia hair. Just like earlier that day, he felt enticed by Alicia. He didn't realize it, but he was practically staring at her, causing her to blush, "Quartz... you're staring at me too much. It's embarrassing..."

"S-Sorry my queen. It's just the moonlight and the nightly breeze really brings out your beauty," Alicia even more before turning away from Quartz, _"I guess these charming comments are from my father's side. I mean, it worked out for him I guess. He does have 7 wives at his disposal..."_

"Ahem, Quartz, what did you want to talk about with me?"

"Well, I don't really have any clothes of any kind. I was hoping that you would show me around town and help me pick an attire out. I know this a lot to ask for as a soldier for you, but it's good to attempt to."

"Oh no, it's fine. I was actually hoping to go out with you tomorrow anyway. Nina can accompany us if you'd like...," Alicia trailed off and turned away, _"Why did I just say that? This was suppose to some sort of... date between us..."_

"Yeah, that would be nice. I just don't want to wear the same clothes at night."

"Yes, I understand that, but Quartz..."

"Actually, Alicia, I'm sorry for interrupting you, but I have some... news for you about the resistance."

"Hm?"

Quartz clenched his fists fiercely as he spoke, "Well, I just spoke with my sisters..."

"Oh, that's great. Tell me where they and we'll send a search party immediately!"

"I don't think that will happen my queen," Quartz remained monotone as he clenched his fist. Alicia caught wind of this, and walked up to him.

"Why ever not?"

"Alicia, my sisters... have sided with the Resistance...," Her eyes widened as she froze in place, "I'm alone now Alicia. First my parents, and now my own siblings. I'm alone...," Quartz felt blood fall down his hand, which caused Alicia to spring into action.

"Quartz," She said as she grabbed bis hand, "You aren't alone. You have your partner, the captain... and me. I'm sure your sisters have their reasons, and the last thing I want is for you to fight them. I'd never forgive myself if I allowed that. Quartz, this may not be my place to ask, but are you sure you want to stay even if it means fighting your siblings?"

Quartz unclenched his fists as he let the blood drop from his hand. He looked at her, and sighed, "I knew at some point in our lives that this would happen. One way or another, I just knew this would happen between my sisters and I. It's my choice though. I have made it my duty to protect you at all costs. I will give my life for you, and only you my lord!" Quartz knelt down in front of her, and bowed, "I will protect you with my swords. No matter what firearms I may face in battle, I will use my swords to protect you from all harm!"

Alicia knelt down with a handkerchief, and began wiping the blood from his hand before saying, "Quartz, I don't want you to throw your life away for me. In fact, I don't think I'd ever want to see you die. So promise me this Quartz; don't do anything that would be too dangerous, alright?"

-Present Time-

"I said don't do anything dangerous!"

"This is what I do though. I always go to a ledge in the morning to meditate."

"Get down from there!" Alicia pulled him down, and once she did, Quartz fell on top of her. Their faces were practically inches apart. A light blush appeared on her face as she saw their predicament, "Uh Quartz..."

"I'm sorry, I'll get up," Quartz attempted to get up, but Alicia pulled him back down. This didn't only shock Quartz, but Alicia herself, "M-My queen?"

"I-I thought I told you to call me Alicia when we're alone Quartz..."

"I don't remember you saying only when we were alone... Alicia...," Their faces moved towards each other until get door burst open.

"My queen! Huh?" Saber saw the two and cooed a little, "Oh, was I interrupting something here?" The two quickly got up and dusted himself off, "Anyway, that can wait. We have someone here that says they're your sister Quartz."

Quartz stepped forward wide-eyed before asking, "What's there name?"

"Lavender..."

Meanwhile, back at the motel, the Main 7 were ready to continue moving. Their destination was to be the capitol, "Well, we have a long road ahead of us girls. Let us continue on," Rarity stretched only to notice Twilight staring out the nearby window, "Twilight, are last night's events still bothering you?"

"Yes, I completely disregarded Cobalt's teachings and put fear into that man's heart. I had no idea what came over me Rarity..."

"You just snapped, that's all. It was a long day for us yesterday. We were all tired and stressed out. I guess you just hit your breaking point last night Twilight. Don't let it eat you up inside."

Twilight as she stood up, "Yes, I agree. Thank you Rarity."

"Anytime darling. Now, let us go! Our children await us!"

Silver stood outside in the blistering, cold temperatures of Southern Uskain thinking about Lavender, "So she went to join Quartz and that Queen. Lavender is such a fool blinded by... gah!" Silver punched the cabin they had been staying in since yesterday in pure frustration. The rest of her sisters were inside as Silver was on watch outside. Platinum left to scout the area so that he can transport them safely.

"What should we do Fluffy? You're the second oldest. What should we do now that both Quartz and Lavender are our enemies."

Fluffy, you may not know, is almost nothing like her mother. She's more like Cobalt than anything. However, the traits of her mother really show when she's setting a party up or when she's at a party.

"Well, we know that Lavender doesn't hold much combat strength, but we know that Quartz can match our father. However, our type of fighting would be rendered useless in the ways of modern warfare. If we're going to have an advantage against the two of them, we must learn the ways of modern warfare."

"What about fighting them? Our own siblings. I couldn't think of hurting Lavender or Quartz...," Electric said as she clenched her fist.

Blaze then spoke, "Electric, right now, family could mean less in this war. I don't like it as much as you do, but Quartz and Lavender both made their choices and we must abide by them."

"But Blaze!"

"Electric, I'm afraid Blaze is right. They are our enemies now. I don't like it, but we must do what we can to help the people. Even through our own siblings if need be..."

"But the point of coming here was to be safe from whatever is attacking our parents and to get help. We can't get help if we're fighting each other."

They all fell silent only until Silver walked back in, "Our parents can handle anything. They can bide their time against whatever they're fighting, I know they can."

Back with Quartz and Alicia, they rushed to the courtyard of the castle only to see soldiers surrounding one person. Someone who was stoic in the midst of it all. Quartz caught a glimpse, and he instantly felt relieve, "Lavender..."

"Quartz...?" Lavender saw her brother, and attempted to step forward, but was stopped by the soldiers who pointed the barrels of their guns at her.

Quartz turned to Alicia and requested, "Alicia, please tell your men to stand down...," She nodded as she held her hand up. Her men backed off, and allowed a path to her brother, "Lavender!"

"Quartz!" The two siblings embraced each other fiercely ager seeing in person. Alicia walked up to the two siblings with a smile on her face. Saber followed behind her to see the two siblings.

"Why are you here? I thought you were going to fight for the Resistance."

She shook her head, "I didn't like how they handled their battles. I knew that if you put your trust into the queen then I would trust her," That's when she looked at Alicia, and bowed before her, "I thank you for taking care and bringing the best out of brother. I know you've heard of many bad rumor about him, but he really is a great kid."

"No thanks needed. Please raise your head. Your brother is quite noble Lavender. I do believe I have you to thank for that, correct?"

"No, you bought out this Quartz. I'm proud of what's become of him in just one day. Queen Alicia, I have some news..."

"Hm?"

Cobalt remained chained against the wall in his autonomous dungeon as Harmony returned once again. She carried the same bucket and cloth to wipe away all of the blood from Cobalt, "Cobalt, I'm so sorry this is happening to you."

"Don't worry, it's not like you have any control though. However, the minute my kids and wives retaliate, they won't show you any mercy."

"Even if you say anything?"

"It depends on how much they can trust someone, especially after all that you've done. If I am to be honest with you, I think they will actually forgive you. Lightning was successfully rehabilitated, and even my father was brought back to the light. With 20 years of living in exile as I was before I killed Brisk... I believe you have changed. You have some great acting skills Harmony."

"You remembered how we would act stuff out as kids, right Cobalt?" The two chuckled as Harmony started crying again.

"You're crying again. Stop that, you're a grown woman."

"I know, it's just that Discord chose me to help him because he knew of my hatred towards the girls. However, I got over that hatred and anger. I only wanted to live in peace with my daughter, but Discord ruined it. He first sent me to help him conquer the Three Kingdoms of Ancient China. Once we defeated them, we moved to the Warring States era of Japan. Next was Rome, then DOATEC, and even the lands of Equestria. Discord's army

grew to astronomical lengths. I knew he wanted to build his army with the strongest warriors and fighters throughout the sands of time before he fought you. Discord... had only wished for chaos and destruction. He faked his rehabilitation in order to gain the trust of his pony 'friends' when in reality, he had schemed this for centuries. Discord may be a fool, but he's not a force to be taken too lightly. Quartz, even if your kids find help, they won't be enough for the large army of Discord. All hope is lost..."

"Harmony, what is it that you told me when I started teaching at Starlight?"

"All it takes to change your world..."

"Is to change the way you think. You can't have that type of mindset if you expect to change the world. I trust my family. They are my family Harmony," Cobalt began staring at the small window in his holding cell with hope...

"I see, so my brother sees to attack when I was distracted. Hm..."

"Wait, Platinum expected me to marry Alicia, and during the midst of it, attack?"

"Yes, he even said that he didn't care if the villagers got hurt or killed in the assault. He said that a few villagers can be sacrificed to save many others."

"That fool," Quartz slammed his fist against the stone wall near them fiercely, "can't he see what his sister is trying to do? She wants to raise this nation with an era of peace and benevolence? What will he get out of taking the throne."

"To continue his grandfather's legacy. I remember our grandfather telling him that he would be King after his death. He's probably thinking that his spot at the royal throne was taken from him, so he's taking it back. However, all of his troops are just malnourished villagers. He only has a small handful of trained soldiers. Quartz, Lavender, I humbly ask for your assistance when this time comes..."

"You can count on me, and I'm pretty sure my brother will do what he can to protect you. Though the two of us may be at a disadvantage due to our low experience with firearms, we will try our best to help in anyway we can my queen...," Both Quartz and Lavender bowed before Alicia, causing her to smile. She then remembered something.

"By the way, Quartz, we will need to obtain a wardrobe for you, correct?"

"Yeah, these clothes are old and stinky. I would love some new clothes. Oh, may Lavender come with us?"

"U-Uh...," Alicia didn't want to be rude, so she agreed, "Alright, she can come with us."

"Thank you my queen," Quartz beamed a smile at her, causing her to blush heavily.

"L-Let us go you two...," Alicia quickly walked ahead of them, but only before Quartz called out to Saber.

"Saber, would you like to come as well?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, come on," Saber nodded as she followed them out the courtyard. Alicia then stared at Quartz as he turned to her, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Alicia puffed out her cheeks as she continued walking, "Let's go you knucklehead..."

"Lavender, what did I do?"

Lavender only chuckled as she patted her brother on the back, "You're still too young to understand a girl's feelings. You'll know soon enough Quartz."

"What is that suppose to mean...?"


	9. Chapter 8

Rarity stepped outside to see a carriage for them to ride in, "What's this may I ask?"

"We received word from the Mystic Council Rarity. Cobalt has been captured and the rest of the mystic realm has fallen. Small handfuls of warriors are attempting to rise in rebellion, but they don't stand a chance against this unknown army. We know the reason you are here. This carriage can bring you to the capitol where you can gain help from the queen."

"Oh, thank you all so much. We'll be sure to repay this debt of gratitude you've shown us."

"No problem. The road ahead is free of any rebels, so it should a smooth ride from here on out."

Rarity nodded as she looked at her friends. She could tell that they were somewhat saddened that they had to abandon Cobalt like that, "Girls, Cobalt did the right thing to send us here. Whatever type of torture he's going through right now is something he can endure... I hope..."

* * *

Discord sat on a throne in front of Cobalt, and other men. They all held smolding pieces of iron. Harmony stood beside Discord with a large monkey wrench in hand. Cobalt's body was riddled with burn marks, and the floor around was covered in blood, more than likely his own.

"I'm going to ask again Cobalt. Where are your wives and children?"

"And I'll tell you again, somewhere nobody can find them."

Discord nodded his head towards the men, and they hit, not pressed, their iron rods at Cobalt's abdomen. This caused him to grunt in pain, and spit out an inhumane amount of blood, "Oh man, you heal fast for someone who lost their powers 20 years ago. Ah, this is much too boring," Discord stood up from his throne with a groan of boredom, "I'm off to conquer another dimension. Harmony, rip his fingers off again. As for the rest of you, gear up for another dimension takeover," The men holding the bars followed Discord out. One of the men gave one last good swing at Cobalt, much to Harmony's disgust.

Harmony instantly dropped the monkey wrench, and began healing Cobalt, "Cobalt, why won't you just tell him? I can't stand seeing you like this..."

"Don't worry about me. My healing factor can counter whatever he throws at me."

"What if he brings plasma into this Cobalt, and you know that your body can't handle this type of punishment any longer Cobalt. I've been reading the flow of your magic, and your healing factor is getting worn out. Once that stops working, you're done for Cobalt."

"That doesn't matter."

"What?! Cobalt, you're the only thing preventing Discord from conquering the mystic realm. If he gets the Emperor's jewel, then all is lost."

"Which why I said it doesn't matter. The jewel isn't with me. It's with one of my kids. The only way he can get it is if he captures my kids. If he kills the only source of my kids...," Cobalt trailed off as he looked off in the distance again, "he can't complete his goal for total domination..."

* * *

Meanwhile in the capitol of Uskain, Quartz walked along side Alicia, Lavender, and Saber as they glanced at all the unique vendors, "There's so many vendors of different kinds. I even see attire from our part of the world. Whoa, is that clothing from Earth?" Lavender said as she pointed over to a nearby vendor that had Nike, Adidas, North Face, and even Reebok brand clothing and other apparel.

"Whoa, that was a lot of name drops. Can we do that?" Everyone stared at Quartz as he said that, and chuckled, "Sorry, but this is cool. I could wear some of this. But is there a vendor that's kind of specializing in battle-ready clothing? Sort of like what I wore yesterday during my duel with Saber?"

"Hm, to be honest, most of the tailors here are more of formal or informal wear. None of them are battle-ready clothing."

"I see, well, some informal wear would be nice. Shall we go and-," Before Quartz could finish his sentence, Quartz grabbed his head as he felt a pulsating pain occur mid-sentence.

"Quartz!" Alicia and Saber grew worried, but Lavender stopped them.

"Don't worry about it. This is something that has been happening for a while now. If you didn't now, he actually told me about this girl that visits him from time to time. A sign of him seeing her is this."

Lavender was right. Quartz saw an angelic looking girl in front of him. The angelic being started to move towards the center of the marketplace.

"He'll usually only catch a short glimpse of her. There were times where he told me that she told him something. Although, he never tells me what she tells him. That's pretty...," Quartz began to aimlessly walk towards the middle of the marketplace towards the path of the angel. This caught the attention of the others.

"Where is he going?" They started to follow him only to lose sight of him. They then saw him tinkering with a vendor that sold munitions from Earth, "Quartz!" He looked towards them, and turned his attention back to merchant.

"So these are specifically from Earth?"

"Yup, they're some of the most common, yet powerful weapons from Earth."

"How did you get them here? In fact, how did you get here?"

"I'm a traveling merchant and trader. I'm originally from Helios, but I decided to become a merchant/trader. Most of my items here are mostly through trade. Of course, most of them are Earth merchants from Earth. Occasionally, I'll make the trip to Earth, but not all the time."

"Quartz! Don't turn away form us when we're speaking to you!" Lavender started to pull on Quartz to ear, "Didn't I teach you better?"

"No, stop that," He pulled away from her grip, and turned to them, "This merchant has munitions from Earth. Some of them aren't even ones that I've seen here. It's pretty cool. Actually, how have you been able to go to and from Earth without being detected as an outworlder?"

"I'm extremely discreet about it. I don't try to give my position away too easily. I have a lot of sources out on Earth to give me these weapons," The merchant then glanced at the Alicia and bowed, "Ah, Queen Alicia, it is an honor to meet you. Is Quartz here with all of you?"

"Yes, we were actually out to buy some clothing for him, but did you something catch your eye here?"

"Yeah, I've always been interested in firearms, and I thought that these were a great place to start. It can be my own firearm that I can practice with."

"I see, but are you sure with that? We have plenty of firearms that we could lend you."

"I know, but I just feel attracted to these weapons here."

"Oh, if you're a beginner with firearms, allow me to introduce you to this weapon right here," The merchant turned around, and handed Quartz an AR-15 assault rifle with a reflex scope on it, "It was the first rifle I ever shot and owned. It's also a basic weapon for a beginner such as yourself. That reflex sight was just an addition. If you want, I can throw in your own vest, ammo, and handgun for the same price."

Quartz began inspecting the weapon which caused Alicia to speak up, "And how much is this price exactly?"

"I was going to charge full price, but since you're here my queen, I'll lower it little. The price right now for you is 20,000 Silver Dragon Coins."

"That's pretty pricey, isn't it?"

"Wait, what's that? This doesn't sound like our currency," Lavender asked as she checked her pocket to reveal the basic currency of the mystic realm, "Is Uskain different?"

"Why, yes we are. Ever since Uskain broke away from your father's rule, our own currency was created. It's split into 4 different categories. Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum Dragon Coins. 20,000 Silver Dragon Coins is equal to about 5,000 Gold Dragon Coins. That's quite the price for this."

"Hm, if you think about, this is a good price for this type of package. Excuse me sir, if I may ask, but how much will be given to Quartz if we were to purchase this?"

"I'd give 100 separate clips off ammo that it's in a small ammo cache. It's ammo for both the rifle and the handgun. The ballistic vest along with the ammo and handgun are all in this...," The merchant went into the back of his vendor, and carried a large ammo cache in front of them, "You know, I can lower the price to 10,000 Silver Dragon Coins. Quartz seems like a nice young man, and I'd be willing to do what I can to allow him to purchase this set."

Saber then spoke, "Excuse us for a moment," She pulled Alicia to the side, and said, "My queen, I think you should do this. I can help him with handling a rifle. Need I remind you that once The Resistance launch their attack on the castle...," She trailed off as she looked at Quartz who was checking out the gun with his sister and the merchant, "he may be our only hope to drive them back. I think that he can be able to force The Resistance to submit and end this war," Alicia glanced over at Quartz with a worried look, "My queen, I've known you for a long time now. So I'm going to talk to you not as one of your soldiers, but as your best friend. I know how much you love Quartz, but his main objective here isn't to help us. I'm sure that he was sent here for a whole other reason all together, and not to help us out of our situation. There will be a time while he's here where you have to choose to either use him to end this war as soon as possible so that he may return home, or to keep him here while his main problem will never be solved."

Alicia clenched her fist as she stared at Quartz. Though Saber was right, she couldn't bare the responsibility of seeing her true love die for her country. In fact, if he was to sacrifice himself here... he wouldn't be able to go back...

* * *

Silver and her sisters looked at the large groups of resistance fighters in front of them. Many of them looked poor, some looked to have been trained in fighting while others look as if they didn't want to even be there. They all stared at them with glares of hostility.

"Don't mind their stares. It's a way to intimidate others. They must keep their tenacity to make up for their lack of skill and numbers," Even if Platinum had said this, they all saw that some of them were scared to know when the signal for the attack was going to come. I'm actually quite surprised all of you are willing to learn how to handle a firearm. I guess that's a good thing. They may be doing the same with Quartz."

"Platinum, if I may ask as to why we're no longer in the cold, snowy wasteland from before?" Fluffy questioned.

"There's a lot of patrols in that area of Uskain, so we move our training and shooting ranges to this area of Uskain. A jungle is a great way to test the mind of our soldiers. However, for all of you, I will put you through firearms training, and a weapons course. This may take some time, so you may need to buckle in..."

They all looked at each other, and bowed, "We are ready for anything," Although, Electric was somewhat reluctant with her answer.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Cobalt's cell, another group of soldiers came with the same equipment as before, "Oh Mr. Cobalt! We have some more fun we would like to-," They walked in to see him gone, "Where'd he go?! Sound the alarm!" A loud alarm went off within the castle Cobalt was being held in.

The castle was on a small remote island. There wasn't much land on the island, but Cobalt found a way out for in the distance sailing the ocean blue was a relatively small ship. This ship was much too far to be spotted by the soldiers on the Island. This ship had Cobalt, who only had on a pair of combat boots and pants. On his back was a sword, a rather plain sword, but behind him was Harmony and a girl around the age of Silver wrapped in a blanket. Cobalt looked at them, and then back in front of him.

The ocean breeze had his hair flow in it. He then unsheathed his sword, and began hacking away at his beard like before. He cut off all of his facial hair, and shortened his hair. He looked in the reflection of the water, and sighed, "I don't have long. My next stop is the Depab Archipelago, and from there... the capitol of Uskain..."

...

...

...

"I only have 6 months..."


	10. Chapter 9

"How's it going?!" A man said as he was sharpening his sword. He was speaking to an elderly man who had sat beside him, "Hey, I heard Discord's army is trying to get info out of the emperor."

"Discord does not understand that the emperor has the information to where the Emperor's Jewel is. He knows that he can't kill him. However, if you've seen how the emperor has been the last few years; this may be a sign that he doesn't have long left. I believe that once he passes...," The elder looked down, and looked towards the sky, "Discord will search every dimension up and down. Including our island here..."

"Well, we don't have to worry about anything. Those six warriors that arrived here yesterday show a lot of prowess. I'm sure with the combined might of our militia... we can push Discord's army back. We'll be fine here."

"There's a ship landing on the beach!" A voice yelled out, "Whose ship is that?" One soldier asked, "It's Discord, Discord is attacking! He'll be any minute!" This caused the man to jump up in shock.

"Ugh, looks like Discord is already beginning his attacks. There's only one ship, so it's more than likely a recon squad. They'll be easy to take out," The man took his sword, and stood up only to look back at the elder, "Would you care to join?"

The elder nodded as he manifested a wind staff, "I may be old, but I still a little fight in me."

On the beach, Cobalt stood off the ship and saw that the island was still in one piece, "The Depab Archipelago. Home to a small village of about 1,000. It seems Discord hasn't made his way here."

"Discord doesn't know this part of the mystic realm. Besides, this is only a remote island," Harmony spoke, but she instantly turned her attention to her daughter who started coughing. She pressed her head against hers, and her eyes widened, "Her fever has gotten worse. We need to find help quickly Cobalt."

"I know, but I don't know this island well either. I usually send Fluttershy and Thunder here to work out any legal actions. I've never been here before."

"Look, go find some help, and I'll stay here with my daughter. Hurry, I don't know how long she has."

"Right!" Cobalt hopped off the ship and ran up a slope only to see a massive army in front of him, "Was I wrong?" The army reached to massive lengths, "This could be the entire island. When was the last time we did we do a population consensus?" As Cobalt was in thought, a large volley filled the sky. The volley was large enough to block the sun, "What the?!" The arrows came down on to Cobalt with a large explosive shockwave.

"Sir, our arrows made contact with the invader!" A soldier reported to the same man from before. This soldier, along with the others had little to no armor on their chest. They were no more than mere peasants."

"Good, that should be enough to take 'em out," However, as this man said this, a large explosion emerged from the beach, "Huh?!" Cobalt emerged from the dust to show a green barrier around him, "Hmph, I guess it's a mystic of some sort. Could be a former soldier of Brisk's army. Arrowhead formation! Charge at him full force!" The army created an arrowhead type of formation before charging at Cobalt.

Cobalt, although reluctant, prepared for a fight, "I guess I don't have a choice...," Cobalt charged as well to meet the enemy army full force.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Mane 7 were all resting while in their carriage. Rarity tried to find a way to use their mystic powers, but to no avail, "What is wrong with our mystical powers? We used them just fine when we were on the main land," That's when the driver spoke up.

"Mystics and their powers have no power anymore. The Queen of Uskain is the only one that wields that power here. For some reason, after her grandfather's rule, all the power of non-imperial blood civilians were disabled. No one knows why that's the case. Ever since then, our advancement in technology decreased. Though we use firearms, those are mostly of trade from Earth."

"I thought Cobalt stopped all trade in and out of Earth on order from the UN. Why is that available here?"

"Well, we aren't part of Emperor Cobalt's rule. Once Cobalt ordered the queen's grandfather to secede from his rule; he created his own set of laws that allowed trade to and from Earth. Although, Earth does its trade in private from their own central governments. Many merchants in the mainland do this as well. They receive munitions from Earth to either give to The Resistance or the Anti-Resistance."

"Hm..."

"I heard there are even Earth merchants that trade with merchants here. There's a large trading system that was secretly implemented after The Great War. It's what made the civil war here slow, yet deadly. However, The Uskain National Liberation Army and the Anti-Resistance Forces outnumber the Resistance 1 to 4. The only thing keeping them in the fight is their way of guerrilla warfare. It's what's lowered the morale and numbers of the defenders."

"Hm, and if our husband would have sent troops here to assist?"

"That more than likely would've caused more destruction not to either army, but to the Imperial Army themselves. The Imperial Army still fight with swords and magic, correct?"

"Yeah. Why do you ask?"

"They would've been quickly gunned down by the firearms. Both armies have adapted without the use of magic, and know how to counter magic now that they've evolved from that type of warfare. Yes, all of you and Cobalt's elite soldiers are powerful, but all that can be stopped with a simple bullet. Guns have been so common here in Uskain that nearly everyone carries one."

Rarity fell silent before asking, "Do you carry one?"

The driver pulled out a compact glock from a holster on his hip, "Of course I do. My job is dangerous. Especially if I'm carrying valuable goods. I need to be able to protect myself."

"With only a handgun?"

"There's more," He put his handgun away, and turned around, "There should be a a secret compartment below one of your friends," Rarity looked down, and saw a small indent on the bottom of the carriage. It was under, Rainbow, who was fast asleep. She softly moved her aside to open the compartment to reveal an arsenal enough to support a family, "This helps me on my travels. However, the Anti-Resistance force was able to push the Resistance back."

"Some of these firearms..."

"Allow me to answer your question before you ask. The queen has actually turned to the countries in the Earth realm for assistance. Although they can't send troops, they can send help through equipment. We have help from many countries in the Earth Realm. Two large contributors is the U.S and China. They send any type of supplies they can. Weapons, armored vehicles, artillery weapons etc. The list goes on."

"If there are vehicles like that here in Uskain; why isn't there one stationed in nearly every city here?"

"We may be supplied by them, but that doesn't mean there's enough to go around. The cities of important stature were given armored transport vehicles in order to transport court officials to and from the capitol."

Rarity fell silent until one thought crossed her mind, "Is our husband disliked here?"

"Oh heavens no. The civilians here adore Cobalt. However, some of the civilians here don't particularly like you."

"Me?"

"The nation knows that you were the one that passed the vote to steer away from the war, and to not let the public of the entire mystic realm to know of this civil war. A few civilians did not take kindly to your neglectfulness...," That's when the man stopped his carriage. He set his hand on his handgun, and took it out. He turned around and pointed it at Rarity, "I am one of them..."

Rarity's eyes widened as she stared down the barrel of a gun pointed at her _,"I know is partially my fault, but I don't need to die for it! No, someone save me!"_

 _BANG!_

* * *

Cobalt was surrounded by multiple soldiers. He calculated the movements of each soldier that as ready to strike, _"These soldiers are untrained in combat. Their attacks will be easy to counter...,"_ As he said this, two soldiers charged at him. He ducked down and swung behind him. He heard another soldier run from behind him, and he stabbed his sword underneath his arm, stabbing the soldier in the process. A group of soldiers charged at him from his left, and he swung in their direction, taking them all out.

He was then pierced by an arrow in his shoulder in which he pulled out. After this, he threw his sword in the direction of the arrow. His sword pierced the archers chest, almost instantly killing him. Cobalt went to pick up one of the fallen soldiers swords, and continued with his attacks. One by one, they fell. The sword soon broke from use, and he picked up a spear to vault himself over to his sword. He picked up his sword, and flipped out of harms way.

He wielded the spear and his sword tight, ready to strike back. In the distance, 6 unknown decorated warriors stood over a hill, "He's quite powerful my lord. What shall we do?" One spoke. This one was female with flaming red hair. She wielded a war trident that was rather large.

"Remember, we can't rush into battle like usual. We aren't habitants of this world, so we need to be cautious of who we fight. This man here will surely be a test," Their leader spoke. He wielded a bo staff. This bo staff was red, and you could practically feel the flames emanate from it.

"Oh come on Brian, we can handle this guy. There's 6 of us, and only one of him," Another one spoke, this was a girl too. In fact, every one of them except the leader was female. This one had lightning blue hair, and wielded a sword and shield similar to that of Silver.

"Oh please, Celestia, don't be too irrational with Brian," This one sounded a little like Rarity, except without the over exaggerated accent. She had icey-white hair, and wielded a dual bladed weapon similar to that of Brisk.

"Silver is right, I'm sure we should plan this attack out first. Look at how he's handling our large army. He's not a force to be reckoned with," This girl had lapis colored hair, and she wielded dual swords.

"I'm with Celestia. We're all much stronger than the soldiers fighting. If we combine our might, we can subdue this threat," This girl had features similar to that of Blaze and the girl mentioned first. She wielded a serrated blade that had weird symbols on it.

"Girls, quiet! What should we do Brian?" The first asked.

"Thank you Cupcake.I agree with Gleam, and Lapis. I say we do what we can to subdue this man. We don't know what he's capable off, so stay on the defensive. Let's go!"

"Right!"

They all grew grew dragon-like wings before flying down towards Cobalt. He caught wind of this, and he spun into the ground, "Huh? Where'd he go?"

Cobalt jumped from the ground, and charged at Brian, "I got you now," However, he was blocked by all of Brian's girls, "Huh?"

"You won't lay a finger on our master!"

Cobalt backed away, and landed on the ground to see the 6 warriors flying in front of him, "None of you are human, are you?"

"Speak for yourself after what you just did!"

"I get it! Look, I'm not here looking for trouble!"

"Nonsense, we won't listen to your lies! We'll stop you here and now!" Cupcake stated.

"Enough talk! I just wanna fight!" Celestia charged towards Cobalt, in which he went into the ground, causing Celestia to miss. She stopped in her tracks only for Cobalt to rise up behind her to elbow her in the gut. This sent her far into the sandy beach. Cupcake launched a lightning strike at Cobalt in which he countered it by channeling it through his sword back towards her.

Cupcake attempted to block the lighting strike with her trident, but the force forced her into the same situation as Celestia. Silver sent down multiple ice shards, similar to that of Brisk towards Cobalt, "I've seen this one too many times...," Cobalt kicked through each icicle. After the last shard was destroyed, he sliced the air in front of him, and created a massive ball of energy. He then kicked the ball as if it was a soccer ball towards Silver.

Silver had managed to dodge it only for it to explode into the group of soldiers watching the battle. Silver turned towards the carnage. However, this small opening left her open for an attack. Cobalt charged towards her, and kicked her dead in the sternum. This caused her to cough up a little blood as she collided with the ground with force.

Lapis and Gleam attacked Cobalt. Lapis attacked swiftly with her swords which surprised Cobalt, _"She's fast. What the hell? I've never seen anyone attack as fast as her..."_

He didn't see Gleam coming from the side to attack. He was quick enough to match her speed, and he was met with her blade in his abdomen. Gleam let out a berserker scream as she drove her blade through Cobalt. The force of the hit sent Cobalt into a nearby palm tree. The sand covered Cobalt as he collided with a loud boom. Gleam and Lapis gave each other a fist bump as they saw what they had done to Cobalt.

They all met in front of the kicked up sand, "Did we beat him?" Brian inspected the sand in front of him. It was then they saw a blue aura emanate from the sand, and a large beam fire at them. The beam hit everyone except Brian. The beam sent the girls tumbling down the hills on the beach.

Brian gritted his teeth as Cobalt walked out of the sand to reveal zero wounds on his body. The two warriors circled around before charging at each other. The two blocked every attack they threw at each other. This stopped when Brian suddenly appeared behind Cobalt, and grabbed him from behind. The Brian in front of Cobalt then grabbed him from the front. The two copies looked at each other as the two jumped up high into the air. They then spun at high speeds head first down towards the ground below.

 _"This is gonna hurt..."_ Cobalt flinched as a massive explosion kicked up large amounts of sand. Once the sand dissipated, the other Brian copy was already gone, and the real Brian was breathing heavily. However, in front of him, Cobalt was nowhere to be seen, "Huh? Where did he go?"

Brian looked around for Cobalt, but to no avail. He was nowhere to be seen. It was then he felt movement behind him. Before he could fully turn around, he shot by the same beam that hit his students. Brian was sent back, but he was able to gain ground and land on his feet.

Cobalt then heard something being shot at him from behind him. He turned to block it, but his sword was hit from his hand by a razor sharp throwing knife. He attempted to go for his sword, but Celestia was there to trade a hit on Cobalt. He anticipated the attack, and he went into the ground once again only to appear behind them.

He dusted himself off as he kicked up a spear into his hand, "You're all much stronger than I thought. That goes against my own teachings."

"We did the same to your own skill. It's a shame you are to be our enemy. You would be a great ally."

"Same to you, Brian. Weird name, but you're all strong nonetheless. However, I'm here for a whole different reason," Cobalt began to twirl the spear before getting into a battle ready position, "It's back to basics for me!" Cobalt then charge at them sweeping, and stabbing at them. However, they easily blocked and dodged his attacks. He then stabbed his spear to vault in between all of them. The spear then started to glow blue as he twirled it around in an attempt to hit them.

However, this proved useless when Silver countered the attack, and swiftly attacked him. She knocked him back towards Gleam, "Gleam!"

Gleam proceeded to swiftly attack with her sword before ducking down, "Celestia!"

Celestia came charging in with her shield. She tackled him with it, and sent him into the air. She followed it up by following him up, and throwing her shield down onto Cobalt, sending him onto the ground. Celestia then proceeded to surf on Cobalt through the sand before kicking him up, "Lapis!"

"Right!" Lapis jumped up, and attacked Cobalt with light, but fast hits before moving away, "Cupcake!"

Cupcake stood on the ground as she waved her hand across the blade of her trident. She then swung down to force an eruption of dark matter to shoot from the ground, "He's all yours master!"

Brian jumped up and jabbed his bo staff multiple times into the air sending multiple small meteorites at Cobalt before hitting him into the ground. Cobalt was forced onto the ground. The 6 warriors surrounded him, "Do you give up?"

Cobalt smirked, and balled his fists fiercely, "Not a chance," Cobalt's eyes began to glow yellow as his eyes, nose, mouth and ear began to bleed.

"What in the world?"

Cobalt than uttered the two words, "Last Stand..."


	11. Chapter 10

Rarity flinched as she awaited the bullet, but she looked ahead of her to see the man was now dead. A bullet had penetrated his skull, killing him instantly. The gunshot woke up her friends who were dazed at what just happened, "Rarity?" Twilight slowly said. Her eyes widened when she had saw that their driver was dead, "What happened to our driver?"

"I-I don't know! One second we were talking about the war going on here. Then he started to say that some of the civilians here don't like me because I ordered our army not to assist. He then pulled a gun on me stating that he was one of those people. Then he was shot. I don't know where the bullet came from..."

"Anyone in there?!" A voice called out, "We're here to help you out here!" The carriage drapes opened up to reveal multiple soldiers dressed out in black clothing and vests, "Wait, you're Rarity, and you're all Emperor Cobalt's wives. I'm glad we stopped him before he took the shot. Look, we can take you and your friends to the capitol."

"Thank you. How can we repay you?"

"No need for it. We know the trouble Cobalt is in. We only wish to help you and your family out," He then pressed his hand onto his ear, "What?" All of her friends looked on with concern, "I see, roger that."

"What happened?"

"Cobalt escaped from the mainland."

"H-He escaped?"

* * *

Back on the Depab Archipelago, Cobalt would take out hundreds of militants in one hit. Brian and his students were sent far back from the force of Cobalt's attacks, "Where did all this strength come from?"

"He said Last Stand only after he started to bleed from his face. Maybe he's pushing his body past his limit," Lapis responded, "I say we let him go until his own body kills him."

"I don't want him to die. I'd rather have us capture him so that we can know his true intention."

"There's no way we can even attempt to capture him in this state. What are we gonna do master?"

"I can go full dragon mode, but I don't want to risk destroying the entire island," He then looked at his hand, "We need to activate Empower somehow."

"We can't do that. Look, I say we just try to fatigue him. It's the only I can think of a way to beat him in his current state," All they heard in the distance was massive explosions, and Cobalt screaming like a madman.

Brian shook his head, and stepped forward, "Let's go. We can't let him too close to the village!"

"Right!"

* * *

Rarity and her friends were already boarding a transport helicopter, but before Rarity could hop on, a well dressed court official stopped her, "Excuse me, Ms. Rarity."

"Huh? Oh, you're the mystic official we sent here 2 years ago. Moonshadow was it?"

"Yes, you're correct. You see, we'll be sending your friends to stay around the area of the capitol. However, you'll be speaking to the queen directly. You have a quite a bit to discuss with the queen. Don't worry though, I can help converse with her."

"Uh, okay. Thank you Moonshadow."

"No problem milady. Let us go."

Rarity stepped onto a smaller helicopter with Moonshadow, and they put on the headsets that were there, "So milady, the mainland has fallen, hasn't it?"

"Yes. Cobalt sent my children, along with my friends and I here to avoid the attacks on the mainland as everyone here were to call it."

"Ah yes, the citizens here call the lands up north the mainland. No matter though, there was actually word that one of your children is now a soldier of the UNLA."

"Really? Who?"

"I have no idea. They only just arrived yesterday."

"I see, it may be my daughter. Let us hurry please. I need to know if the rest of the kids are safe."

"Yes milady. PIlot, let's speed this up," The pilot gave them a thumbs up, and went slightly faster.

* * *

Harmony saw the destruction in front of her, and she wanted to stop it. But she didn't want to leave her daughter behind while she was sick, "Cobalt..."

Cobalt stood in the middle of nearly hundreds of corpses. Cobalt began to yell at the bloodshed around him. He stabbed the staff of his halberd into the ground fiercely, taking out more soldiers just from this alone. He then stood stone still after his charade.

Brian was about ready to signal another attack on him, but he stopped. He held his hand up to stop his students, "Wait, it seems he had finally reached his limit. His soul looks as if it has been passed on to the next generation," They all stared at Cobalt's immobile body as he had his eyes closed, "If he were to have a title, he would surely be called the God of War."

Out of nowhere, the man from earlier jumped over Brian and his students to attack him, "Take this!" Cobalt's eyes shot open as he swung and hit this man with the blunt part of his halberd. This sent him flying into the sand as he turned his attention back to Brian, and Brian only.

"Please, I only request help..."

Brian looked past him to see Harmony running up the hill, "Please, stop fighting. He's telling the truth. He's only seeking help. Help for his family, kingdom, and my daughter," Harmony was seen carrying her daughter in her arms, "Can't you see? He's the emperor of the mystic realm!"

"Emperor?" Brian questioned.

"Wait, Emperor Cobalt?" The man slowly stood up to see for himself. His widened at the realization, "He is...," The elderly man arrived soon after and sighed.

"Ah, I do apologize your imperial highness. Our village leader here is much too young and incompetent."

"What?!"

"Silence you. I humbly apologize for the trouble we caused."

"It's nothing. I just wish... to seek...," Before Cobalt could finish, he collapsed in front of them.

"Cobalt!" Harmony ran up to him to check if he was still breathing, "He used his Last Stand ability. He needs to be healed right away. Excuse me, can one of you hold my daughter while I heal her?"

"I'll do it," Brian stepped up, and took Harmony's daughter from her.

"Thank you, Brian was it?"

"Yes, I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. He tried to tell us, but we didn't listen to him. I hope you can forgive us."

"It's fine. You all were just trying to defend your home."

Brian then turned to his students, and chuckled, "Actually, we're not even from this realm. We were brought here from some unique force. One second we were training before...," Brian paused slightly before he continued, "I was with my students and all my friends. However, in the middle of our training, a large dark vortex formed over our heads. It then surrounded us, and we felt ourselves being lifted up."

Cupcake then continued for them, "We soon found our home to be surrounded by unknown entities. They looked to be serpent-like human beings, along with ponies, and dragon-like creatures as well. They attacked us, and even proved too much for us to handle. Most of our friends were captured, and we soon found ourselves to be on this island. We don't know where all of our friends are, but I'm still somewhat glad that I have my master and sisters with me."

"Discord..."

"This Discord fellow, we've heard a lot of talk about him. Who is he?" They soon heard Cobalt cough up blood during their conversation, causing the elder to speak.

"I say we heal our emperor here first before we continue on. Takam, clear the island of all these bodies. We'll need to rebuild our army soon if Discord were to actually attack."

"Right," The man, now known as Takam, got to work with other soldiers to rid the bodies from the island.

"That is Takam, he's our village's leader. However, he is still very young as you can see. He's only a few years older than the emperor's oldest daughter. Let us head back to our village. I can perform my healing magic there."

"Thank you elder for helping me, and if you can, would you please do the same with my daughter?"

The elder inspected Harmony's daughter who was in Brian's arms, "Hm, she has a high fever, but it's nothing too serious. I can use some herbs back at the village to create a soup that will weaken the effects of this fever. With a little bit of rest, she'll be as good as new. My name Bezsius. I'm the mystic realm's last known mage in existence."

* * *

Back at the capitol, Quartz was carrying his new equipment inside the capitol with Lavender glaring at her brother, "If my memory serves me right, I thought this was a clothing run for you Quartz. Not an equipment run."

"Well, this just sort of caught my eye. Besides, this will be cool," Quartz set down the cache in his room with everyone waiting outside, "This is gonna be awesome!" Quartz started to take out the vest and weapons in the cache. Saber went to sit beside him to inspect each weapon for them.

"Now you know that you won't be able use these weapons on missions, right? These are all specifically for practice. Now I can't tell you how to control your recoil just yet, but I can tell you how to load your weapons, and the basic uses of it."

Saber started to explain as Alicia looked at Lavender, "Excuse me Lavender," Lavender turned around in response, and she continued, "May I speak with you in my throne room?"

"Of course," Lavender followed Alicia to her throne room, and waited for the reason they were their, "What's wrong?"

"I've received word that my men has picked up all of your mothers. Your parents will be staying in a mansion not far from here, but Quartz's mother, Rarity, will be arriving here shortly to discuss the attack on your father's land. We've also received word that your father was captured."

"He was?"

"Yes, and he was captured about a few hours after you were sent here," Lavender looked down in worry to know that her father who was known to the strongest mystic in history was captured, "However, we've received word that there was some major destruction done by one warrior on the Depab Archipelago. That may be your father escaped from his prison not long ago."

"Really? Can we go save him?"

"That's why we're calling his wife. We want Rarity's opinion on what we should do with that warrior at Depab. We don't know if it's really Cobalt or not, so we don't want to risk giving the position of our nation away for Discord to attack."

"Discord?"

"We'll talk about it once Rarity arrives. Actually, Quartz will not be meeting his mother just yet. For you see, he'll be sent on a recon mission with his captain. So it'll take some time before they meet each other once again. I know they're rough past with each other. I want to give Rarity some time before she comes face to face with her son."

A soldier ran into the throan room with Rarity and Moonshadow behind them, "Milady, Lord Rarity and Senator Moonshadow have arrived."

"Ah...," Rarity saw Lavender, and looked away from her which confused her greatly, "It is a pleasure to meet you Rarity."

"The p-pleasure is all mine. Queen Alicia, if I may ask, which one of my children is part of your army?"

"That is something that you'll have to wait on my lord. First, I need to have a word about your husband..."

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Quartz's quarters, he was working on tactical reloads and such, "Reload!" Saber yelled causing Quartz to quickly reload his weapon in under 10 seconds, "Great, you seem to be having trouble to properly take the mag out of your pouch and loading it in the gun, but so does everyone else. You're ready."

"Ready for what?"

"Your first mission..."

Silver and her sisters were with Platinum training until a resistance soldier ran up to them, "Platinum, we've received word that there's a recon unit being sent to our cargo ship on the west side of Uskain."

"Hm, girls, this will be your first test. The four of you will lead the counter-defense against this recon squad. I want all of you to send a message to the UNLA. You'll be sent there now quickly. Let's get all of you suited up."

Soon afterwards, Quartz and his sister started to gear up for the recon mission. Quartz sported out gear that made him look like an elite soldier. Silver and her sisters looked like typical resistance soldier. What will happen when these siblings come face to face with each other?


	12. Chapter 11

"Will you be with me on this mission Saber?" Quartz asked as they were walking down a hall.

"Yeah, I need to. You're my partner Quartz. I'll sort of be your guide on these missions. Well, along with the captain," They stopped in front of a door that said: Debriefing Room, "It'll be a 5 man squad."

"Okay, I see," Quartz looked around to see that they were the only ones there, "Huh, we're the only ones. That's pretty weird."

"I guess, but hey Quartz. I forgot to talk about your next type of initiation."

"What? I thought I already completed my initiation."

"To be a soldier in the UNLA, you must go through multiple initiations. You went through your water, and combat initiation. Now it's time for your leader initiation."

"What?!"

The doors behind them opened to show Captain Whiskers followed by the same two men that escorted him yesterday, "Ah, you two are already here. That means we can start. Quartz, listen well, you're leading your squad in this mission. Sadly, you'll be down a soldier for this recon mission. For some reason, one soldiet of your squad was found dead in his sleep. Some say it's from natural causes, but they're holding an investigation soon on the truth to his death. For now, you'll be leading Saber, and these two new recruits here on this recon mission."

"Y-Yes sir..."

The captain nodded as he brought up a hologram of the cargo ship, "The ship is out in the middle of the ocean. It's been transporting goods to and from the Eastern Ocean side to the main base in Southern Uskain. Your task is to find out what they've been transporting there. There have brrn some reports that high amounts of plasma and radioactive material is on board that ship. So you'll be equipped with gas masks to avoid breathing in the fumes. I'll have Alpha team enter through the south end of the ship. Your team will be dropped into the water where you'll find Alpha Team waiting for your arrival. Your teams will split up to search the ship. Quartz, your team will search upper deck while Alpha Team searches the lower deck."

"Alright..."

"Once you find information on what they're transporting, we'll need you to gather any evidence of it. Perhaps we could use whatever they're using."

"I understand."

"Good."

"Permission to speak?" Saber requested.

"Permission granted."

"What will be our loadout for this mission?"

"You'll be equipped with silenced weapons. I know they'll be guarding this precious cargo, so they'll be on high alert. It's best not to alert the entire ship, or it'll make your time much harder than it needs to be. You will be moving in with MP5SOD, and a silenced Usp.45. You won't be carrying any explosives to avoid setting off whatever they have on that ship," They all nodded at their setup, "Alright, that was everything, or will I need to repeat everything?"

"No, that is all. Thank you."

"Very well, let's execute this! Hoo-rah!"

Silver and her sisters were dropped off with Platinum on the cargo ship, "Alright, we have patrols throughout the ship, but they're not exactly the best at their jobs. So we came up with a plan to use their incompetence against the enemy. You see, we will set up patrols on paths that lead to this room," Platinum pushed the door open to reveal a lab of some sort. It housed multiple serums and test tubes of all sizes.

"What is this?"

"It's something we don't want to reveal to the UNLA. These serums are-," Before Platinum could continue, a soldier ran up to him.

"Sir, we've received readings that two helicopters have dropped off two recon squads. It's time to execute the plan."

"Yeah, let's go. Silver, you and your sisters will lie in wait here. Wait for my signal, and be ready to spring into action."

"Wait, what's the plan?"

"It doesn't really pertain to any of you. Just cloak yourselves, and wait for the signal," Platinum ran off with the soldier leaving the girls alone.

"Well, let's get in position...," Silver began to activate her octo-camo, but Electric stopped her.

"Sis, I feel heavy amounts of electricity coming up on our position. Do you think it's Quartz?"

"It can't be. He's still a newbie. They wouldn't send a newbie on a recon mission, and besides, didn't Platinum say that a storm might come by soon?"

"Yeah, but this current feels different than when a storm is brewing up. I don't know. I'm just worried that at some point, we'll be stuck fighting our own siblings..."

SIlver shook her head, and hid away while cloaked, "Whatever, it's what we'll have to do when it happens," The other girls followed, only for Electric to stand in the middle of the lab while looking around.

"I don't know about this girls. I might follow Lavender on her decision..."

Quartz and his team were now underwater with his small recon squadron, "What's your orders boss?" Saber asked.

"I say we start moving to where Alpha team is suppose to meet us."

"Right..."

This whole time, Quartz felt awkward with this way of battle. For years, he had trained in martial arts training since he was only 4 years old. Now he's being thrown into this type of battle. Firearms like these is uncharted water for him, but he must do what he can to serve his queen.

Back at the capitol of Uskain, Rarity sat across from Alicia who had guards on each side of her along with some behind Rarity. Lavender also stood beside Alicia. A desk separated them as Alicia began to speaking, "It has come to my understanding that the mainland has been attacked, correct?"

"Yes..."

"And that you're here to seek refuge and help, correct?"

"Yes..."

"And that you are the one who ordered your troops frm deploying here in Uskain, correct?"

Rarity fell silent for a small second before answering, "Yes..."

"I see," Alicia stood, and walked to a nearby window, "I'm sorry to say this, but Uskain is no safer than the mainland. Constant war and anguish rule this country with an iron fist. Even I have no control over what my subjects do outside of the capitol. We can't offer safe refuge or even reinforcements for your husband."

"I can see that now. Still, I want to know what you have on my husband. I just wish for his safety."

"I understand. You're husband, I hope, is fine...," Alicia fell silent as she said this.

"What do you mean hope?"

"Well," Alicia paused as she looked at Lavender, but she continued, "your husband has escaped from Discord, but no one knows exactly where he escaped to. There were some rumors of a warrior landing on Depab. It may be your husband, but it hasn't been confirmed yet."

"As long as I know he's no longer in Discord's cutches, I'm fine. Tell me, where are the rest of the children? My husband sent them here, and I wish to know about their safety."

"Well, Lavender arrived here not long ago, and the same goes for another one of your children. Although, I don't want to to tell you who it is."

"Is it my son?"

Alicia paused at her question, and nodded, "Yes, Quartz has become my own personal bodyguard."

"Queen Alicia, you know how incompetent my son is, right?"

"And do you know why he was like that?"

"Huh?"

"Your son was looked down upon for being incompetent. However, you didn't look at why he was being incompetent. He had no set path as to why he was being taught the way he was. The constant berating from his own family didn't help with realizing his goal. Not once did you try to assess the situation. You only berated him for his actions. Did you ever think that was reason behind his antagonizing actions?"

"I..."

"Alicia is right," Lavender spoke, shocking both Rarity and Alicia, "The whole time, you and my father only berated him on his actions. You made him feel small compared to us, and the only way to fight back was to be the way he was. If only you had been more like my mother..."

"Lavender..."

"I have seen a whole side of Quartz I have never seen before. He seems happy to be here with Alicia, and in Uskain. He seems so genuine in the short time I was reunited with him. Your daughter though has changed drastically. If Quartz was antagonistic towards up, then how Silver is now will shock you..."

"No..."

"I'm sorry, but your daughter is starting to look more like Brisk now," Out of nowhere, a hand came right across Lavender's face. Rarity was in front of her with a look of anger across her face. Rarity's hand glowed like it did 20 years ago. Her hair started to move in anger, shocking everyone in the room.

"We told you to never bring that name up!"

"I'm just did, but that gave you no right to hit me. I see why Quartz acted the way he did. I fully understand...," Rarity clenched her fists as Lavender continued, "He felt threatened by you and our father, but he knows he can't fight back. It's the reason we all listen to you two, and why everyone follows your orders. That power you hold is equal to the dark power... that is why many people fear and dislike you."

That power Lavender is referring to is the same power Rarity had 20 years ago.

 _Rarity's hair change to a color similar to Sunset's._ _"You... player!" Rarity raised her free hand, which burned like Harmony's hand when she uses Blaze, and smacked him through his bedroom door, "Hmph...!"_ _"Whoa...," All the girls stared at Rarity with surprise. Once she had realized what she had done, her hair was back to its cerulean-colored self._

"That power... has nothing to do with my foothold in the mystic realm."

"Yes it does. They know the power you hold, and they fear that power. Even your own family fears you. You know, I never did-"

"My queen!" A soldiers ran in before Lavender could finish, surprising everyone.

"What is it?"

"My queen, the recon mission was a trap! Alpha Team has fallen. Quartz and his team are trapped on the boat with limited support."

"What?!" Alicia grew a worried expression on her face and she clenched her fists, "Send in a rescue team! We need to save him!"

"The captain is ordering against it. He said someone sabotaged our only transport chopper. Quartz and his team will be stuck there until we finish repairs..."

What led to this unfortunate event? Well, why don't we go back and see...

...


	13. Chapter 12

Alpha Team met Quartz and his team at a loading dock on the ship, "Had a nice trip?" One of Alpha Team's members asked.

"Well, still getting used to this. It's all still new to me."

"Yeah, I understand. So is our plan underway?"

"Yeah, I find it best to sweep through quickly. The minute we kick this nest, we'll be in for the fight of our lives. Remember, we'll search the upper deck. Your team will search the lower deck, got it?"

"Yeah, team, let's go," Alpha Team was already off as Quartz went to check his weapon, "Check your weapons and ammo. Night vision goggles on," Quartz attempted to get his night vision goggles to work, but they weren't, "What's up with this thing? It's not working. I think I have some faulty goggles..."

"What? Let me...," Saber paused for a short second and sighed, "Quartz, did you grab the right goggles?"

"I'm sure I did. Marble told this was it."

Saber turned to one of the soldiers, and raised an eyebrow. The soldier only lifted his hands to show that he had done nothing. This caused Saber to sigh as she tucked his fake goggles away, "Look, you'll have to lag behind. I'll be the entry, you can watch our six, right?"

"U-Uh, yeah...," Kind of disappointed that he had just screwed big time caused Saber to smile at him.

"Hey, don't beat yourself over this. It's a rookie mistake. Let's get going."

Quartz nodded as he started to follow Saber. All the while the two soldiers only smirked at each before following them. Quartz stood behind the other three soldiers as he scanned behind them. Saber held up her hand while saying, "Hold on, let me check around the corner?" She slowly peaked her head around the corner and glanced around, "Hm, no signs of enemy movement. Let's go. We're clear."

They continued through until they approached another hallway, one with a closet at the end. A guard cut the corner as they approached it and was about to shoot, but was taken down before he could do so. She pushed him into the closet and came back out, "That was close. Come on, let's go."

"Wait, I sense a patrol unit around that corner," Quartz said as he remained facing their six, "We have to find another route because there's guard not far from this patrol unit. We can't risk taking them out."

"Wait, how do you know that? I don't see anything."

"I was trained to increase my other senses when one is rendered useless. I can feel their vibrations through the ship. I can sense which patrols are where on this ship. However, I'm only limited to people and not rooms."

"How is that possible?"

"I've been put through rigorous training since I was a child. I'm trained in all sorts of situations where my magic would be rendered useless. Hm, it's seems there's all vent in that closet in front of you. We can probably take that vent somewhere. It could be easy access. We'll have to do it fast though. It'll only be a matter of time before they find the body."

"Huh, impressive Quartz. Alright, let's do it," Saber quietly made it into the closet, and so did everyone else, "I guess it was a good idea to send you here. Haha, I told Alicia there was nothing to worry about."

"Saber, would you mind me asking why your name and the Queen's name are different from other mystic names?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, my family names and others in the mainland have names that are derived from colors, gems, or shades. However, the two of your names are more like names from the Earth Realm. Why is that?"

"Oh, well, I'm half Earthling and Mystic. So is the Queen. I guess our parents stuck with names that were part of the Earth Realm."

"Hm, makes sense."

"Actually, aren't the names for Mystics the same as if they were in Equestria?"

"Yeah, but I don't see the similarity between our realms."

"Actually, there are quite a few, but let's save the talk for later. I can sense a large amount of energy at the end of this ventilation shaft."

"Yeah, I feel it too, but I don't feel any guards near the area, so it may be blocked off. Easy for us. We should radio in Alpha Team to inform them."

"When we get out of the vents we will," They stopped at the end of the ventilation shaft as Saber started kicking at it, "Marble, hand me the blow torch," Marble took one out and handed it to her. Saber sated to cut her way through the exit.

Below them, Silver and the rest of her sisters were ready to ambush them. She signaled her sisters to get in position as she moved towards the back of the room.

Soon afterwards, they dropped down and got their weapons ready, "Switch your flashlights on. I don't think we'll need our night vision goggles," As instructed, they turned their flashlights on and glanced around, "Alpha Team, we may have found something big."

"So did we. We'll meet back on the main deck, Alpha Team out."

"It's so damn dark. How the hell are we gonna see anything?" One of the other soldiers asked.

"Hold on, there's a switch here," Saber flipped a massive switch as light shined in the room to reveal large and small test tubes, blue prints, and chemical equations sprawled across multiple whiteboards, "What in the world?"

"It looks like plans for something...," Marble stated.

"On this, it says something about... being chosen. Do any of you know anything about Carnisians?" Saber asked as she read through the notes.

"Huh? I heard it from my father. Some rumor for some type of doomsday project."

"Hm, doomsday project sounds about right, but I don't think it's a rumor."

This shocked the others as they began to question here, "What do you mean? Is there something more to this?"

"I don't know, but from these notes, it seems as though someone codenamed, A.W will hold the answers. Hm, everyone," Saber tossed down a duffle bag and some cases and began filling them, "grab any evidence you can get your hands on. The Queen is would want to see this..."

Quartz then paused and prepared his weapon, "First, we have to deal with them," Quartz pointed his rifle towards the back of the room near the windows, "And they're not the only ones," He then quickly pulled out his plasma pistol and pointed it towards 3 separate corners of the room, "We're surrounded."

Saber quickly did the same and pointed her weapon towards each area Quartz was aiming at, "Show yourselves! Don't be cowards and hide away."

"Do as she says Silver, and the same goes for the rest of you."

"Huh?" Saber questioned, "How do you know?"

Silver slowly stood up from behind one of the large tables and the other sisters appeared from the shadows, "Hm, it seems you aren't as incompetent as I thought you were brother."

"Silver, Fluffy, Electric, and Blaze... why must you fight for a man like Platinum? Just join Lavender and come with us. A ruffian like Platinum should not even look at us."

"No, it's you who's following the wrong leader. Platinum is a benevolent man. Even if his type of warfare is unorthodox, I believe he can change Uskain's way of life."

"Hasn't he already though? All this needless war for something as trivial as a throne. It kind of makes me think of what would happen after our father stepped down...," Quartz fell silent as Blaze began to speak up.

"Why would you care about anyone other than yourself Quartz? That's all you've ever done. So why the change of heart?"

Quartz looked down and only glanced at Blaze. He didn't speak, he only shook his head.

"Can you not answer? Is she controlling your mind?"

"Shut it. You know why I was the way I was? Huh?" He fell silent once again as he pointed his rifle right in between her eyes, "I had no sense of direction. I had no motivation to accomplish everything. However, that all changed when I met Queen Alicia. She gave me a sense a direction. Something and someone to fight for. I have a reason now, and if you can't handle my decision, then I won't be afraid to put this plasma round right in your head."

"Already going against father's laws I see. That's just like you. Oh well, we aren't in the mainland anymore. So I can break a few rules too," Silver then pulled out a plasma cannon the size of a handgun and pointed it at Quartz, "This is a prototype. Able to deliver a bigger punch than your little toy there Quartz. One shot anywhere will kill you instantly. Think about it."

"Doesn't matter to me. The odds are still fair. 4 on 4..."

"I don't think so," After Silver said this, Marble and the other soldier pointed their weapons at Quartz and Saber, "It should've been obvious the minute you hopped off your little helicopter. Quite obvious."

"It was a setup. Something to lure UNLA's strongest soldier...," Quartz glanced at Saber and sighed, "You're right... I should've seen this coming."

Soon after, in Quartz's ear, he could hear Alpha Team's commander along with weapon shots in the distance, "It's a trap! I repeat it's a trap! Retreat to the evac point!"

"A little too late for that...," Quartz glanced at Saber and nodded with defeat, "Alright, you win...," Quartz dropped his weapons as did Saber, "We have no choice here...," Silver signaled Marble over to Quartz and he went behind him before hitting him with the butt of his weapon, knocking him out in the process. This sent a certain level of disgust in Fluffy and Electric.

"Quartz!" Saber was about to run to him, but was met with the barrel of the portable plasma cannon.

"It's best if you stay put. Blaze, tie her up. Let's head out to the outer deck. I do think we'll be seeing the Queen soon," Blaze nodded, but Electric and Fluffy only looked on with disdain.

* * *

Back at the capitol, Alicia was staring at the transport chopper before holding her hand up, "Repair!" With a bright yellow flash, the chopper was supposedly to be in working order, "It should be good enough, but it will be too late if we wait on fuel. What are we at Captain?"

"We're at nearly 3/4ths. It should be good to head there and back without hassle. We must hurry. If we're not fast enough..."

"I know," Alicia was about to step on the chopper, but Captain Whiskers stopped her.

"My Queen, where are you going?"

"I'm going with you."

"No, the heat they could be taking there could be more than you could handle," Before he could say more, Alicia swiped the handgun from his holster and pointed it at him.

"Those are my soldiers out there. I'm not going to sit idly by as this all unfolds. We're going to save them," She then glanced at the rescue team and Lavender, "together."

"She's right. I'm going too. My brother is in danger, and there's no way I'm not doing going to sit here. Especially with her," She turned and glared at Rarity before stepping in.

"Well, put these on," Captain gave the both of them vests to put on, "They won't fully stop a high caliber plasma bullet, so don't get too hasty."

"Don't worry, I'm not," They both boarded as they made their way to the ship. Accompanying the transport chopper was three Little Birds, an apache and a blackhawk to assist in the rescue mission. They haven't however prepared for the storm approaching.

* * *

Back on the boat, Saber and Quartz were sitting in a jail cell which was guarded by Electric and Fluffy, "So is this it for us? Are they gonna have us rot away on this boat?"

"Not likely. We'll probably be used as bait for the Queen."

"Welp, I'm not going to sit here and wait for it to happen."

"We have no choice to. I never expected this."

"I should have. I felt their presence, but shot it down. It was my fault that our recon mission was put in jeopardy. I'm sorry Saber. I guess I still am that incompetent little kid they know..."

"Nonsense. You've proven yourself to be an outstanding person both here and at the capitol. Alicia relies on you to be at her beckoning call. She uh... I'm not going to say. That's something only girls should know."

"Good, I don't wanna hear any girl talk. I got enough of that back home on the mainland."

"Quartz, if you had the chance to change something about Uskain, what would it be?"

"I don't know. I haven't been here long enough to know."

"Really? Do you think the place is perfect right now."

"Well, it's lot more lively and grand than back home. This place gives an old vibe that I feel doesn't exist anymore on the mainland. Mystics aren't suppose to have grand mansions or futuristic cars and such. If we want that, we'd go to Earth, but here it's all over now. I don't mind it, I just think it's taking over the Mystic Realm."

"Do you really believe that?"

"Of course, from what I've read from journals and diaries from past leaders, I only thought it changed over time. I only found out everything changed when my father took over. I guess his time living on Earth changed him. It would only make sense."

"Or maybe our mystic lives are evolving ever so slowly," Quartz shook his head and shrugged.

"I suppose..., but I like this place and its simplicity..."

"A lot do, but that all changed when this civil war began."

"War is a plague that can never go away. It just gets past down to each new leader no matter who they are..."

"Word..."

Not long after, they heard multiple helicopters and soon gunshots ringing throughout the ship. Soon over an intercom they heard, "UNLA soldiers are invading the ship. All units prepare to defend!" Fluffy and Electric both nodded as they ran off.

"Sweet, an opening," Quartz then quickly kicked the cell doors open before stepping out.

"Wait, how?"

"The minute we got in here, I was analyzing that door to see where to kick it open. Once we had our chance, I was going to kick it open," He then peaked out towards both hallways and nodded, "Alright, we should split up. I'm going for the evidence. You should find the rescue team."

"Wait, I'm not leaving you. There's no way I'm going to."

"Trust me on this. Just go! We don't have enough time!" Although reluctant, she nodded as she ran off. Quartz took a deep breath as he ran through the ship. He soon came face to face with soldier and he threw him into the wall, knocking him out. He then check the gun and nodded. He then sprinted down the hallway. After cut a corner, he saw a small squad and instantly went into cover. They began firing on him, and it was hard for him to take a shot.

He then slapped his face lightly before exhaling slightly, "Welp, I've done stupider things," He then sprinted out of cover and slid as he started firing. Some of the bullets took out all but one soldier. Quartz attempted to fire again, but the gun was now empty, "Shit!" He then rolled out of the way of the bullets that was being fired at him, but the hallway wasn't the biggest so he quickly hit the back of the wall.

In the face of luck, the gun jammed right before it got to him. Quartz quickly stood up and knocked him out with the butt of the rifle, "Whew, now lets get that bag."

* * *

Back on the surface, Alicia led out the soldiers in the CH-47 and signaled them to move, "Lavender, let's go. We need to find your brother."

"Right, but what about Saber?"

"She can handle herself, but I don't know about Quartz. He may do something stupid."

"Noted..."

They made their way to the lower deck and watched each others back, "Hallway clear. Let's keep it up. We don't have much time before that storm arrives."

"Right," Lavender then saw a soldier in the distance and yelled, "Alicia, duck!" Alicia did as ordered and she gunned down the soldier down the hall.

"Nice shot for a beginner."

"It doesn't seem that hard. Just point and shoot," The two smiled at each other as they continued through the boat.

* * *

Quartz soon arrived back in the lab to be met with Silver looking out the window as the UNLA soldiers moved through the boat slaughtering the resistance, "Look at them Quartz. They're slaughtering us, and yet you'll still fight for her. Don't your soldiers know of the word mercy."

"Haven't your soldiers heard of the word surrender?"

"Hmph, that's something you should do. You aren't armed are you? Oh, and your partner Saber isn't with you? Another foolish decision," Silver turned around and faced-off with Quartz. The two glared at each other as both waited for one to strike. Behind Quartz, Blaze was coming in with a roundhouse kick, but Quartz expected the attack, and tripped her.

Silver attempted to follow it up by stabbing him, but he dodged the knife by grabbing her wrist and flipping her over his shoulder, "Ambush huh? You really like that tactic don't you."

"Hmph," Silver jumped up and gripped a pipe before wrapping her legs around Quartz. Blaze followed this up with a kick to his abdomen. Afterwards, Silver performed a hurricanrana on Quartz, sending him flying into the ground. Blaze then jumped into the air and planted both her knees in Quartz's sternum.

Silver followed this up by attempting to stab him, but he was able to quickly dodge it and its following attacks. Quartz stood up and had his back against the wall, "What's wrong? Can't handle a couple of girls?" Quartz gripped his hand and smirked, "What are you smiling about?"

"Oh nothing," He then released from his hand a smoke grenade which instantly exploded it's large cloud of smoke.

"Ack, where'd you go?!" Quartz snuck his way around and grabbed the evidence bag from the table and ran off. As he did, he soon ran into Alicia and Lavender.

"Quartz!" The two instantly ran to him as he stopped to catch his breath, "I'm so glad we found you. Where's Saber?"

"She should already be with the rescue team. Let's get going. We don't have long before that storm arrives," They all nodded as they sprinted back to the upper deck.

Back in the lab, Silver slammed her fist on one of the tables as she sighed, "We shouldn't have lost him. We could've gotten him onto our side after we set his mind right."

"Maybe Fluffy and Electric will stop them."

"They better..."

Once they approached a hallway, they were met with Fluffy and Electric who were point plasma rifles in their direction, "Girls?" Lavender questioned, "Why are you still on his side. I know the both of dislike his way of fighting. Why won't you come with us? I know you don't like it there."

The two looked at each other and nodded, "Which is why," Fluffy started, they both quickly turned around and fired on two resistance soldiers, "We're joining you Queen Alicia. Your brother is a monster. I don't know what Silver sees in him."

Electric tackled both Quartz and Lavender in for a hug, "I wanted to follow after you Lavender, but Silver stopped me," She then sniffled a little, "I hope the two of you can forgive me."

Quartz was about to say something, but they heard voices in the distance, "Let's save it for later. We gotta go!" They all nodded as they ran back up to the main deck. Both Fluffy and Electric provided covering fire for them as they made their way to the CH-47.

Silver watched on in anger, "What are they doing?"

"They betrayed us..."

"No! They're going to escape!"

They arrived to meet Saber ready to pull them back into the CH-47. Fluffy. Electric, and other soldiers provided covering fire for them as they hopped into the helicopter. Soon, the Apache fired into the attacking resistance soldiers.

"Come on!" Quartz yelled as he waved them to board the chopper. Once everyone was on, he ran back inside. However, a soldier who was nearly dead fired three shots that pierced the back of Quartz, sending him to the ground.

"Quartz!" Fluffy, Electric, Lavender, and Alicia all fired on the guy giving him a fist full of lead.

Lavender rushed to his aid and checked on him, "Quartz...," She checked his back and saw that one bullet made it pass the protection, "One pierced his back. I can slow the effects of the plasma, but we have to get back to the capitol quickly if he's going to make it."

Alicia nodded as she went the pilot, "Step on it!" The pilot gave her a thumbs up as he sped his way away from the ship.

"I'm alright. I'm fine..."

"Nonsense, you're... no way..."

"What?"

Lavender looked on in awe as she saw that the wound on Quartz's back was healing itself, "You're healing yourself..."

"But I thought magic was disabled for us."

"But our healing isn't technically magic. It's in our families blood. That means we still have fast healing factors, but we still lack magic..."

"Good...," Alicia sighed in relief as she glanced at Quartz, "Hey Quartz, I'm glad your safe."

"I'm glad I'm slowly getting my sisters back," He smiled at his sistres, but frowned upon the other two, "A large battle is about to begin in the capitol. I can just feel it...," They all nodded in agreement as they awaited their arrival back home...


	14. Chapter 13

At Depab's village, Cobalt was staring at the ceiling of the house he was in. To the left of him, Harmony sat with a bloody towel and to the right of him was Harmony's daughter, "Harmony, I'm worried about my kids..."

"I can tell, but what about your mistresses?"

"I don't know. I believe they'll be fine. However, it'll only be a matter of time before Discord makes his move south. It seems he's already conquered Brian's world, and who knows who else he's conquered."

"Actually Cobalt, there's something you need to know."

"What is it?"

"She is your daughter. I've already checked her blood and dna. She's your daughter..."

"I mean obviously. I'm the only guy youve slept with," He paused for a second before asking, "What's her name?"

"I called her... Moonlight."

"Moonlight," Cobalt glanced over to her, "It's a nice name. I'm glad I was able to find her before getting found out."

"Thank you for doing that. Who would've thought that she was right with me the entire time..."

* * *

-Flashback to the earlier that day-

"Let's go Cobalt. We don't have long until Discord's men return. Let's get going," Harmony let Cobalt down from his shackles, and attempted to run. However, Cobalt stopped her as he stood up.

"You said he's holding your daughter captive, right?" Harmony nodded as Cobalt knelt down and place his hand on the ground, "I'm gonna get her back. Wait here, I'll be back in a nanosecond," Cobalt then disappeared into the ground and appeared in a large mansion of some sort.

"His men will return in 3 minutes. I have to find her daughter before then...," Cobalt ran through the mansion in search of Harmony's daughter. He checked the mass amount of rooms he came across and still couldn't find her. He then placed his hand on the ground again, and waited.

And waited...

And waited...

And he waited until, "Over there...," He quickly made a dash for a room at the end of a hall and burst through the door. He saw laying on a bed sleeping, a young girl that looked the same age as Silver, laying in front of him. Her hair was the same color as Harmony and looked a lot like Silver, "There you are. Come on, let get you out of here," Cobalt shook her awake, and her eyes fluttered open.

"Huh? Father?"

"Uh, yeah, technically I am. Let's go. I'm here to get you out...," He held his arms out and she held hers out. Cobalt picked her up with ease. With a little too much ease, "Why are you so light..."

* * *

-Present Time-

"Who'd thought she had a flu and was slightly malnurished. I'm glad I found her in time to get the right help."

During their talk, the same group of warriors from earlier walked in, all looking apologetic, "Brian?" Harmony questioned.

"Hello there Harmony, Emperor Cobalt. My students and I would like to apologize for our misunderstanding. We're kind of on edge ever since we were separated from our friends. Most notably one of their sisters and my student."

"They're missing their sister? Hm," Cobalt began to think and nodded, "You're all the Elemental Heroes, correct?"

"You know of us?"

"Your deeds in battle are renowned throughout all dimensions. Brian, the Omni-Dragon. The Elemental 6. Huh, kind of like the Mane 7 of our world huh?"

"I didn't think we were that well-known. Kind of makes us feel a little better about today."

"I see that the one element missing is Grass, or technically Earth. Her name is... Meadow, right?"

"Yes, it all started after we were transported to this mysterious land," Cupcake responded, "We're so worried about her. She can't handle herself. She's... not as assertive as you think..."

"Sounds like a certain someone we know, right Harmony," The two chuckled as Cobalt sat up slowly.

"Try not to stand. I don't know if you have anymore strength at your age."

"Age? Cobalt looks young though?"

"He is 46 right now, but lots of past abuse to his body and stress has taken its toll on him. If I'm to be honest with all of you, I don't think he has long..."

"I see. Well, I know that you're not only here to help Harmony and her daughter. We heard from Bezsius that your home was attacked and you were separated from your family. You're trying to get to them, right?"

"Yes, I came here in search of help. I was hoping Discord hasn't made his way down here. I suppose he hasn't. Please, Elemental Heroes. I humbly ask for your assistance."

"Cobalt, we would love to help, but we have our own problems as well. We also want to find our friends and family before it's too late."

Cobalt then glanced at his halberd in the corner and sighed, "I was afraid of that...," He then stood up slowly and stumbled to his halberd. He took hold of it and leaned on it, "I'm sorry for troubling all of you. I'll be heading off to Uskain now."

"Wait, Moonlight hasn't rested yet."

"You're staying here with her. I can make my way alone. Don't worry about me..."

Brian looked at his students and then back at Cobalt. Harmony stood up and helped him stand, "Cobalt, you need to rest too. The affects of your Last Stand is still affecting you."

"Cobalt," Cupcake answered, "How far is this Uskain from here?"

"Cupcake?!" They all exclaimed. Well, all but Brian who said nothing.

"If you need help. I'll be there. Allow me to go with you Cobalt..."

"That's not my decision...," Cobalt glanced at Brian, and Cupcake knew. She stood in front of Brian who looked at her.

"Master, please allow me to accompany Cobalt on his journey to find his family. Perhaps on the way, I'll learn something about Meadow."

Brian remained silent before nodding, "As long as you don't cause trouble for him," Cupcake placed her forearm across her chest and nodded, "Alright, Cobalt, Cupcake will accompany you on your quest. Please take care of her."

"Wait, you're just going to let her go with him? How can we trust him?!" Silver exclaimed, "We've only just met him!"

"I trust him," Lapis responded, "Cobalt doesn't seem like a man to be treacherous. Besides, Cupcake's right. She could use this opportunity to find the whereabouts of our friends and sister."

Cupcake walked over to Silver to reassure her, "Don't worry. I'm sure he'll watch my back as I'll watch his, right Cobalt?"

"Of course, I've never let anyone down..."

Almost reluctantly, Silver agreed, "Alright, please be safe Cupcake, and please look after her Emperor Cobalt."

"Don't worry, I'll do my best to keep her out of harms way. She sort of reminds me of my daughter a little and one of my mistresses...," They all nodded as Cobalt continued, "We'll leave tonight once we're rested a little. Harmony, take care of yourself here while I'm gone, okay?"

"I will..."

* * *

Later that night, Cobalt was suited with light armor and his halberd. He set some supplies on the boat down and looked at everyone else, "Well, I guess we'll be heading off. Don't worry Brian. I'll make sure no harms comes to her. I'll do my best."

"I trust you Cobalt. I hope you find your family safe and sound."

"Thank you, and I'll try my best with Cupcake," He looked towards the night sky and asked, "Does anyone else feel that? There's a storm coming."

"Will we be safe?" Cupcake asked.

"Hopefully, but I can't be so sure. This storm looks fierce but slow. If we leave now, we'll be able to stay a few miles ahead of it. Best not waste anytime."

"Right..."

"Before we leave, I wanna say goodbye to Moonlight... my unknown daughter...," Cobalt glanced at Harmony who nodded to his request.

Cobalt knelt beside the bed Moonlight was resting on, "Daddy will be back Moonlight. Stay healthy and keep your mother under control, alright?" Cobalt placed a small kiss on her forehead before standing to leave.

"Let's get going. I don't want to be stuck in that storm...," Cupcake nodded as she followed him back to the boat. After getting situated one last time, they waved everyone goodbye before sailing away further south towards Uskain.

About halfway through their voyage, Cobalt stood up and placed his hand in the air. Cupcake watched him the entire time. His hand began to glow a golden aura before a rip in time formed in front of him.

"What's that?"

"It allows me to see the flow of time. I need to see what discord has changed. Hm, it seems he has warriors of multiple past major empires and dynasties. His army definitely outnumber that of my own army. However, I do believe that my own army has fallen too."

"Cobalt, I feel as if Discord isn't working alone. I feel as if there's a whole other demonic figure pulling the strings. I feel as if Discord is only a pawn on this individual's grand design."

"You may be right. Who knows, maybe this individual already has moles in our friends...," Cobalt let his hand down and the rip was gone. he sat back down and glanced around, "The storm is still far from here. We're making good time..."

"Cobalt, if I may ask, why is this all happening? Can this all be connected to the Mystic Realm?"

"Not likely. However, I do think subjugation of the Mystic Realm was top priority for them. The Mystic Realm is full of powerful beings from all over. Who knows who else they can conquer with us under their thumb..."

"I'm worried..."

"About what?"

"What if we can't defeat this powerful foe? What if we end up in their clutches once again?"

"I'll make sure that doesn't happen. I'm not one to give up ever. This isn't the first time this has happened to my friends and I."

"I guess I can say the same for my master and sister..."

"Cupcake, from what I read in books, you all attempted to be mate/mistresses for Brian, but couldn't because Elemental Heroes and Dragons can't crossbreed. Is this true?"

Cupcake coughed and blushed, "Yes it is. We haven't been able to find an able mate to continue our legacy."

"Ah, that's explains why Elemental Heroes are nonexistent now..."

"What?"

"Yeah, they no longer exist. With no one to continue their bloodline, they soon died out."

"I thought there was always at least one chosen person for Elemental Heroes to mate with. What happened there?"

"The number of chosen mates began to dwindle. With that number growing smaller, so did the Elemental Heroes. I'm sorry. I was only a young child when they completely when extinct."

"My gosh..."

"Yeah, and soon, Mystics will be the same..."

"Huh?"

"There are too many crossbred Mystics. A Mystic's genetics are genetically recessive. However, with more and more Mystics dying at a young age, there just aren't enough to have Mystic offspring. I estimated that we will only live for another century at most. Hell, even I don't have much time left..."

"So Mystics don't live long..."

"You're lucky if you live past the age of 55. I guess I'm not one of those lucky ones. In less that ten years, I'll be leaving my family without a father to help them..."

Cupcake stumbled on the boat to sit beside Cobalt, "Don't be so down in the dumps. Keep your head held high. You can't act like this when you're with your family," Cobalt looked at her, and for a second, he saw his sister in her eyes, "Push yourself and all will be good...," Cobalt continued staring at which this embarrassed Cupcake slightly, "C-Cobalt... p-please stop staring at me..."

"S-Sorry, you just remind me of someone..."

"W-Who if I may ask..."

"No, I don't want to say. I'll just say you remind me of one of my wives when we were younger..."

"O-Oh..."

"And my sister...," Cobalt fell silent as hr felt the weird silent vibe, "Sorry, I didn't want to make it weird..."

"N-No... it's alright..."

"Actually, you're the hero that controls the element of fire. One of my wives is the same. I guess that's how I see the similarity between the two of you. She was also a former student of mine."

"When you were out, Harmony told us you used to teach at a school she was head of. I'm guessing your mistresses were your students then, correct?"

"Yeah, and I was surprised with how quickly they became Mystics. However, in order to be on the Mystic Council, they had to leave their family and friends behind. I sort of feel bad that they had to abandon all that just to govern a world they don't even belong in..."

"I think it's because of their unwavering love for you Cobalt. They wanted to be with you no matter what. Even if it meant moving here to the Mystic Realm..."

"I guess you're right...," Cobalt soon stood up abruptly and looked towards the north, "The storm is picking up speed," He held his hand up to the sails and blasted gusts of wind into them, "We gotta get to shore quickly. This storm isn't normal. It's picking up speed as it moves. If we don't make it, we'll be trapped in its current..."

"I can't do much. I only know fire abilities."

"Hm," Cobalt began to think and snapped his fingers, "Cupcake, can you do this," Cobalt walked to the end of the boat and punched both fists out to create two large flames erupted from his hand speeding them ahead slightly. He then stopped and looked at her.

Cupcake looked on in amazement at the power behind those flames, "So much... power..."

"Can you do it?"

"Yeah, but not as powerful..."

"It's fine. Anything helps," She nodded as she went beside him, "On my mark. Ready? Go!" They both fired their large eruptions of flames to give their boat a massive speed boost.

"We're not going to make it," Even with this significant speed boost, the storm quickly gained speed and was nearly over them.

"Hold your ground!" Cobalt added more power to his flame blast, and so did Cupcake. This proved to be all for nothing as she saw that the boat was catching on fire due to the immense flames.

"The boat's on fire!"

"Damn it! Bail!" Cobalt quickly tackled her off The powerful supercell caused the currents to crash fiercely around them. Cupcake held onto Cobalt for dear life as he attempted to find a way out the mess. He then saw their boat get destroyed by the fierce current. He only sighed before turning to her, "Get on my back and hold on tight. This is gonna get a little bumpy...," Cupcake did as he said and he shot out the water before doing as he did before with the fire, but adding his feet into the mix. He shot off like a jet with Cupcake holding tightly, but still surprised at what she was seeing.

 _"We use wings to fly, but we_ _can't_ _fly in_ _powerful_ _storms like this. Cobalt is able to use his fire like this without it even being extinguished. Just how powerful is this man...?"_

However, in the middle of flight, Cobalt was struck in the back by a bolt lightning knocking out of control and back into the water. Without anything to push off of, he couldn't use his Blaze to leap away.

"Damn it no!" Cobalt was easily frustrated at the unfortunate event.

"Cobalt...," Cupcake then grabbed Cobalt, and swam as fast she could to the island.

"Don't... I must be the one to do this..."

"You were just struck by lightning Cobalt. There's no way I'll allow someone injured to strain themselves."

"I'm fine. I should be the one carrying you. As a gentleman, I can't allow a woman to hurt herself over a man. Especially one as myself..."

"What are you pfft... on about?" Cupcake demanded as she spat some water from her mouth.

"My mother told me to put others in front of myself. Namely women. I've lived by that since I was a child..."

"I'm sorry, but I've been taught to help anyone in need. You're going to have to break that oath..."

Cobalt fell silent as the rumbles of thunder conquered their ears and lightning strikes filled their field of vision. He then said, "Yup... just like one of my wives..."

Cupcake only blushed once again as she felt herself go slightly faster. She looked at Cobalt to see him swimming ever so fast as well, "Huh?"

"You can't leave me out of something forever. I'm your partner in all of this until we meet our goals. Until then, we're helping each other no matter what."

Cupcake taken back by his sense of honor and integrity. She saw Cobalt glisten underneath all of the storm clouds above. She felt her heart pound as she held onto Cobalt and swam with him.

 _"I think..._ _he's_ _the one_ _I'm_ _to mate with...,"_ Cupcake thought, but she thought about his mistresses and his age, _"_ _He's_ _46 though._ _I'm_ _only_ _24\. That age gap is just too large for others to_ _not_ _be suspicious..."_

"Hey Cupcake, I can uh...," Cobalt was going to finish what he was saying, but he stopped himself, "Nevermind. Let's just keep going..."

Cupcake could only wonder he was going to say as she continued staring at him...

* * *

After countless hours swimming at sea, they had finally arrived on a beach at Uskain. Both huffed and puffed as they spent the entire night swimming back to the shore. The storm had passed over them quite some time ago, but began to decrease in speed. Luckily, the storm veered off towards another side of the island.

"At least we're alive," Cobalt stated in relief. He flipped his around hair to get it somewhat dry, but failed. He then glanced around and walked over to a nearby tree. He reached into a pouch on his belt and pulled a blue stone out.

Cupcake watched from a distance as he squeezed said stone fiercely. A blue aura began to surround his body as he took out the sword he brought with him. He set his halberd down and sliced into a tree and worked into it.

Cupcake looked on in amazement as she walked towards him. It was then she saw light and heat coming from the tree. She walked in to see the inside fully furnished and a working fire. She felt instantly warm when she stepped inside.

"How did you do all this? It's amazing."

"Well, Mystics are amazing beings. I would offer to hang your clothes over there, but I haven't finished our new pair yet. Why don't you dry off by the fire and I'll get to work in sewing some clothes. The effects of the speed stone are still in effect. I'll be finished in no time. Here," Cobalt tossed a towel at Cupcake and walked off.

Cupcake held the towel close and began to contemplate the right and wrongs of mating with Cobalt, _"We could increase the length of our bloodline, but_ _the_ _girls would think lowly of me for having sex with someone other than Brian. However,_ _I_ _believe that he can_ _carry_ _on the bloodline. His raw power and intellectual prowess can create the_ _strongest_ _being in existence...,"_ She thought long and hard before deciding, _"_ _I'm_ _sorry girls, but this is for our future existence..."_

Cobalt soon returned with two sets of clothes. Both seemed to be a mix of armor and casual wear. They were slightly stylish and donned the color of Cobalt's army, purple, "It's not perfect, but I did what I could do. The upsides of being married to world renowned fashion designer."

"Your wife is?"

"Yeah, I can't tell you trouble we went through to save one time. Oh man, those were the days when I was faster and younger..."

"Harmony told me she was the cause of all that. Is that true?"

"Yeah, but I've learned to forgive people regardless of what they've done. I even told her that before she ran off. I told her that no matter what anyone has done, they must always be shown forgiveness. Or that's what my advisors want. I'm the same way. I want to prevent any bloodshed. Prevent war, but war doesn't stop... we only stop living before another group of people replace us. All I ever wanted was all this needless bloodshed... to end..."

"Cobalt...," Cupcake softly urked.

"Sorry," Cobalt chuckled nervously as he handed her the clothes he made, "I usually get philosophical and utter weird quotes from time to time. I also think out loud sometimes..."

"No, what you said is more than correct. I understand everything that you said and I agree with every word right down to the punctuation marks..."

"I uh... actually used to be one of those who had a lust for vengeance. More like a vengeance before virtue. Eventually, I lost myself in a dark power that took control of me for a short moment. However, in that short time, I hurt and killed friends. It's a time I regret every time I wake up and see my wives all looking at me with smiles. Even after everything I did to them that time. Those agonizing screams... the smell of their blood around that forest... the torn, tattered clothing that laid upon those trees... I can't erase that... I can't...," A relatively red aura surrounded him as these old memories came back to haunt him.

"Cobalt...?" Cupcake uttered out of fear.

"I'm surprised I'm leading an entire world... only to lose it. I don't even know how to control my own kids...," The aura was now blood red as it surrounded him. Fearful of the repercussions of this, Cupcake hugged him and emanated a fiery shock that traveled through his body, "AH!"

"I'm sorry Cobalt!" The shock continued until the aura was completely gone. Cobalt soon softened up and held his head low, "Are you good?" He didn't respond, so she checked on him and saw that he was knocked out from the shocking, "Well, at least you're not going crazy..."

She looked around for any beds, but only saw some blankets, "That explains the soft floor in here," She took one and place it over Cobalt. She picked at the fire slightly, and added some more wood to it. She sighed as she looked at Cobalt, "Such a man lived through so much. Makes me wonder what we go through in our future. He's only 46 too... I wonder how long he has before his body gives out on him..."

 _Six months..._

 _Six Months..._


	15. Chapter 14

Once the CH-47 landed on the base, everyone awaited to see their return. The entire team had boarded off along with some new faces. Saber offered Quartz her shoulder as they made their way off the CH-47. The government officials and soldiers applauded their return earning a smile from Quartz and his sisters. However, Quartz eyes soon fell upon a woman. This woman being his mother. They passed by her, and he barely acknowledged her as they passed her. Rarity was quick to follow them.

Lavender stopped along with her sisters. They blocked her path and turned towards her, "We opt that you should not visit him at the moment. He's recovering from a plasma bullet right now. Let him rest before you think about visiting him," She left with both sisters with them bowed before following her.

Rarity clenched her fists as she sprinted past them, and as she did, a light smile formed on their faces. She caught up to Quartz who was now being set on his bed in his quarters. He still didn't acknowledge her as Saber patted his shoulder, "Training will start again when you're fully recovered. Also, come by the Head Council's room. They want you to review the evidence that we got from the ship. Just message me when you're ready."

"Alright, thanks...," Saber nodded as she walked towards the exit. Rarity moved out of her way as the door closed behind her. She stopped in front of Rarity, and nearly instantly, she placed a knife at her throat and glared at her.

"I know how you've treated him, and you're lucky I won't lob your head off right now. You're being protected by Quartz and Alicia. If I had it my way, I would burn you at the stake. You're really lucky...," She retracted her knife, and walked away, "You do anything to hurt Quartz, and you'll answer to not only me, but his sisters. I can see what it means when they say 'Like mother, like daughter'," And like that, she walked off.

Although she was shaken by that event, she took a deep breath and walked into the room. Quartz was now at the end of his bed twirling his handgun. He started to speak, but she couldn't tell if it was aimed towards her, "This very moment could be the opportunity of a life time you're waiting for, so stop waiting."

"Quartz..."

"But what if that moment was long ago... long before this current time...," The blade hidden in his wrist then shot out from his hand as it went straight through the trigger guard and began twirling it on there. He then talked directly to her while staring at the wall in front of him, "Did you not try to stop and think that maybe, just maybe... I was forced to work hard for no apparent reason? What's the point of all that work if in the end, you're wonderful princess would take the throne either way. Silver is perfect in every single way. Her beauty, intellect, and battlefield expertise would show up anyone out there. There was no point, and I knew that. Is that why I was defiant? Yes, to an extent. However, I was a deviant because I didn't want to try and make anyone proud. Why should I worry about what people think about me? Who cares if I'm not like my family, or a mistake. Cause in the end, that's what I feel like. A mistake," Quartz finally turned to meet his mother who was nearly at tears.

"I'm not angry at how you and father have treated me. I'm not disappointed in either of you. I'm sorry for not living up to your expectations and being the only one that was a mistake..."

"Q-Quartz..."

"I feel as if both of our lives would've been better if I was born here in Uskain rather than on the mainland...," At this moment, Rarity tackled her son for the tightest hug she had ever given anyone.

"N-no. Nononononono! You should be angry at me! You should be yelling at me! I... am the worst mother in hi-hi-history...," The sobs of Rarity rang through his own ears and he could do nothing but listen, "I am so sorry for how both myself and your father have treated you. We had no idea why you were like how you were. I would understand if you would prefer this place rather than home."

"But our home doesn't exist anymore, right?" Rarity remained silent, "I want to help, but I vowed Alicia that I would end this civil war here. I won't stop until I do so..."

"I understand. Your father should be safe now. He escaped the mainland and has landed in Depab," She still held onto Quartz as she said this, "You feel a lot like your father when he was younger..."

"Don't make this weird..."

"S-Sorry..."

"It's fine. Just uh, relax for the time being," Rarity finally released her grip from her son and saw a sight that made her extremely happy. She saw her son smiling. Smiling at her, "Let wipe those tears away. You have a knack for doing that mom...," Quartz took out a rag and wiped her face of her tears and running makeup.

"Thank you sweetie, and I'm so happy to call you sweetie," Rarity kind of didn't realize how tall he was either, "And gosh are you tall. I never realized that until now..."

"Of course you didn't," They both lightly chuckled as Quartz got a message on his radio.

"Quartz, are you ready to review the evidence?"

"Yeah, and I have a request for this reviewing..."

"What is it?"

"May I do it alone? I feel like I can decipher the hidden message behind this A.W. guy. Or at least what Carnisians is about."

"Alright, I'll see if I can arrange something, Saber out."

"Hm, isn't Carnisians a race of some sort? I think it's an ancient demon race that was exiled from the Mystic Realm before your father was even born."

"That could be a lead. Perhaps someone is trying to get them back here to the surface..."

"Well, get a move on darling. Don't want to disappoint the queen now would we?"

"Right, I'll see you later mom," Quartz gave her a quick peck on her cheek as he ran out of the room.

After he left, all of his sisters stood with smiles on their faces before walking away.

* * *

Once Quartz arrived at the Head Council Office, Alicia along with Saber, "Hm? Where's the council?"

"They are in the main town talking with the other wives of Cobalt."

"They're here too? Uh, may I see Fluttershy or Twilight."

"Hm?" Alicia angrily raised an eyebrow as she stepped slightly closer, "Why may I ask?"

"Well, I need to speak with Twilight because I need to see if I can make some upgrades to my blades, and I kinda wanna talk to Fluttershy about Lavender's weapon affinity."

"Weapon affinity?"

"Her weapon right now is a battle harp, right? It just doesn't seem practical, but that doesn't matter right now. Where's the evidence we arrived with?"

"Follow me Quartz," Saber waved him over to them as Alicia looked away from them, "Don't worry Alicia. Do you think Quartz would want to try and bang his own family?"

"What are you saying?! He's right there!"

"Yeah, and that reaction will give it away. Come on Quartz," Saber continued walking leaving Alicia behind with Quartz.

"Is something wrong my queen?"

"N-No, I'm just happy to see that you're safe. Don't worry about me."

"I have to worry about you. I'm obligated to keep you from any harm. If anything is wrong, don't hesitate to ask," Quartz continued walking, leaving Alicia with a bright blush on her face. She soon followed after, but only after she slapped herself lightly.

They soon entered a lab of some sorts that had all the evidence they salvaged from the ship. Quartz looked around at all the equipment he could use to decipher the evidence from their recon mission, "Is everything really here?"

"Yeah, from the weird scriptures, and the strange liquid. It's all here. The real question is: Can you handle finding everything out yourself?"

"I'm sure I can. I study a lot with my aunt. I'm sure I can find someway to see what exactly they're planning. Just give me some time. I don't know how much time, but I'll see what I can do."

"Alright," Saber looked at Alicia and chuckled, "I'll leave you two alone for now. Just radio me if you find anything, or you can tell her yourself if yu find out while she's here."

"As much as I would love to, I have to head into the city and speak with the rest of your family Quartz. Be diligent with your work Quartz. We're counting on you."

"Got it. I'll radio in if I hit something big. You can count on me."

* * *

Meanwhile, on the north side of Uskain, Cupcake awoke just minutes later to footsteps. She jolted up to Cobalt standing with his hands held high. Inside was a small group of armed individuals. All wielding military-grade plasma rifles.

"Cobalt?"

"Hands up lady," One of them ordered.

Cobalt turned to her and said, "Do as they say..."

Cupcake did as Cobalt instructed her and held her hands up. The group were covered head to toe which made sense since it was slightly chilly. However, they specifically had a lot of cover on their face.

One of them then kicked Cobalt in the back of his knees and aimed his rifle at him, "Well, well, if it isn't The Great Cobalt. We've been expecting your highness. Oh wait, perhaps that title no longer holds any meaning. Especially after the last two days. Think about it, your entire mystical empire all just crashing down. That could've been prevented. With a little help of course, but you decided to listen to your mistresses and look at where you are now. Worthless," As they said this, they took out a baton and took one good cracking at the back of his head, "lost...," And again, "defeated...," And once more, "utterly humiliated!" He took one last swing. This swing sent Cobalt to the floor.

This whole time, Cupcake is thinking, _"Why_ _isn't_ _he fighting back?_ _There's_ _only 4 of them. We could easily take them out? Why_ _are is_ _he so passive and why are they so aggressive towards him?"_

"And who's this? Decided to get another mistress? Although she looks a bit young. About the same age as your daughter. Hey boys, I heard she's on our side now. How does that make you feel? Your daughter fighting for the son of a tyrant?"

Cobalt remained silent as he received this vocational beating. Cupcake wanted to do this, but then she heard Cobalt's voice, _"_ _Don't_ _do anything. Trust me,_ _don't_ _try anything stupid._ _They'll_ _leave us be eventually. Give it time. I know this plot..."_

"Sir, we have new orders to-," Before the could continue, the lead hushed him.

"I know. Besides, he passed," He soon let down the cloth from his face and looked at him, "Good job Cobalt. Glad to know you didn't forget."

"Wait what?!" Cupcake exclaimed, "Cobalt," Cupcake quickly hoisted him up and pinned him on the wall, "What is this?!"

"Years ago without my family knowing, I placed my own task force down here in Uskain to keep the area under control. They're the Storm Division."

"B-B-But the beating... a-and the insults..."

"It was test to ensure I wasn't under any mind spells or under a trance of sorts. However, I am curious of the use of firearms. What's with that?"

"Well sir, magic is out of use. The queen enabled that to prevent the civil war from getting too bloody. Anyway, we received word from the queen that we are to offer defense around the perimeter of town. She's having around meeting with your wives. You may come with us if you'd like."

Cobalt turned looked at Cupcake and sighed, "As much as I would like to see them, I made a promise with this young woman. I'm here to find the whereabouts of her sister. Apparently her sister and friends taken by some type of entity. Possibly the same entity that attacked the mainland. I'm here to help her, and I promised that I wouldn't leave her side until I help find her sister."

"I see, well, we saw some suspicious loping activity down yonder. It's a village that sort of specializes in this sort of field. Go there. Perhaps they can help you."

"Thank you."

"Well, we'll be off. Do come see you wives soon though. They must be worried sick about you."

"I can imagine," They lightly nodded before moving off, leaving the two behind to gather themselves.

"Cobalt, if magic is rendered useless here then that would mean..."

"Yeah, our powers about are nothing. Which means, everyone on this country will be using forearms. We have to find some way to get weapons. Ours wouldn't hold well in a battle here. I did some scouting earlier and saw that there was a resistance supply depot. We could sneak in there and retrieve some supplies. However, that would mean wed have to skip out on the village. I say it's your call here Cupcake. What should we do?"

* * *

In the main city, Alicia awaited for the rest of Cobalt's mistresses to join her on the dining all. Around the building and city, multiple units were set up to over watch the meeting. Soon afterwards, they all arrived with Fluttershy leading, "I'm glad all of you could join. We have some pressing matters to discuss regarding your family and the state of the Mystic Realm."

"We were told that our children are fighting in the resistance of your army, correct?"

"Yes, Rarity's son returned from a recon mission that nearly got him killed. However, your daughter Lavender and myself arrived just in time to save him."

"So my daughter is in your castle along with Quartz?"

"Yes, I'm very glad to have both of them with me. Also, during that mission, we were able to gain the trust of the daughters of Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie," The latter looked at each, but Twilight shook her head. Alicia continued, "However, there is still one who refuses to side on the right army. Silver..."

They all looked at each other with disappointment knowing how they belittled Quartz earlier. Fluttershy only shook her head and spoke, "Can there be a time where we may see them?"

"Lavender, Electric and Fluffy, yes, but Quartz is researching some type of weird scriptures and concoctions. He won't be seen for quite some time, but he actually wanted to speak with you Fluttershy and Twilight."

"Really?"

"Yeah, he wanted to speak to you about your daughter, and he wanted to speak to you Twilight about an upgrade on his wrist blades."

"Have they been of use to him?"

"So far, he passed the initiation, and fought in a duel with them. Other than that, he hasn't really used them."

"Hm... I see..."

"Queen Alicia, if by any chance that we could speak with our kids today, may we?"

"I can arrange an escort for all of you. However, I do think they're tired after last nights events."

"Excuse me," Sunset spoke up and continued, "What about my daughter? Where is she? You haven't even mentioned her."

"Quartz told me he had to fight Blaze and Silver to obtain the evidence he's reviewing currently. They're the only two that are still in Platinum's army. It seems that Quartz refuses to hurt them, but won't hesitate to do what is necessary," Sunset remained silent as she continued, "We want to prevent that, but we have a feeling that my brother will plan an attack some time soon. I know he wants to protect that evidence we have. We can only delay the inevitable for so long."

"Alicia, I don't know how we can help, but I hope we can," Fluttershy offered, but Alicia held her hand up, "I don't want to risk it. Besides, I believe your kids is all the help we need," However, they remained silent as Alicia asked them, "But I do have to ask... how long do we have before Discord arrives?" They all looked at each other as she awaited her answer.

* * *

Meanwhile, Cobalt and Cupcake were outside the supply depot of the resistance and saw multiple tents. Each tent possibly held different types of supplies.

"If we can raid at least 3 of those tents, we can have enough supplies to last us until we make it to the captiol. Hopefully it'll be enough..."

"We'll only need enough for the two of us. How do you think we should plan this. It's your turn to decide..."

Cobalt peaked out saw a 3 man squad standing out in the open. They stood guard by a tent while the ones beside it seemed unguarded on the outside, "Well, if we distract those guards there, we can get by easily. However, those two may have some people inside. You wanna risk going for those, or do you wanna play it safe?"

"Let's play it safe for now. I don't think kicking this nest would be in our favor. Hm, I say we try something something simple to distract. You could probably throw a rock over there. They could get distracted by it and go check it out."

"Possibly, but what if it doesn't work?"

"Well, they seem pretty lazy. Maybe we could just sneak by if we get the chance," Cobalt looked on and nodded.

"Alright," Cobalt picked up a rock and tossed it over towards the bushes near the guards. One of the guards took notice, and aimed his gun in the area.

"Do ya' hear that? It's the creatures of the night..."

"Oh hush up. Probably just something running through the bushes. You get used to it after a while. Just pipe so we can get some sleep..."

"Shouldn't we be, you know, guarding the supplies?"

"When you're here in these trees, ain't nobody gonna see this camp. Trust me."

"I hope you're right."

"Why don't you go grab us a couple of beers over in the food tent. We could use a few more, right Jethra?"

"Damn straight..."

"A-Alright...," Like that, the new guard was off while the other two went straight to sleep.

"Looks like they have a new guy. This will be a piece of cake."

"But isn't that a-?"

"Let's get going Cupcake."

Cobalt made his move first and took one more look at the sleeping guards before chuckling. He looked over at Cupcake and waved her over, "Come on," He loudly whispered. She nodded as she quickly made her way over to him, "So which one do you wanna go for?"

"Let's go with this one," She pointed to the one behind them, "I don't think it's going to be guarded heavily."

"Right," Quartz peaked into the tent and saw nothing but a few supply crates, "Hm, we have a enough to grab for ourselves. Let's get some quickly," They both quickly ran inside and jammed open the crates, "This one has some ammo. What about yours."

"I see some guns and such. No food. This might be an equipment tent. I would guess that the food tent would be beside ours. Oh, I see some weird looking weapons. They're glowing," Cobalt instantly turned and glanced at what she saw, "What is it?"

"Plasma Swords. Extremely fatal to all mystics alike. Can pierce through skin with ease, and unleashes the plasma into their bloodstream. If the loss of blood doesn't kill you, then the plasma will."

"Is plasma some kind of poison for mystics?"

"Yes, if it pierces our heart, it's an instant death. I uh... assassinated someone with plasma before," Cupcake instantly looked at him as he stared at the weapons in the crate, "Plasma is a dangerous weapon if in the wrong hands. However, it is the very reason I banned weapons like this from the mainland. I'm not surprised it's used here."

"Why is it here? This is still in the mystic realm right?"

"I'll explain later. Let's get these supplies first," Cobalt started to pick some of the weapons and some ammo for reserve. He opened another crate that had some armor that lightens the effects of plasma depending on the caliber of plasma. Kind of like a ballistic vest, "Put these on. I don't know what effects plasma has on all of you, so put these on," They quickly put on the arms guards, vests and leg guards to be protected in future endeavors.

"Cobalt, I think this is enough. Let's get some food and first aid."

"Right, actually, do you have some sort of healing factor?"

"Yeah, but isn't that magic?" Cupcake questioned, "It wouldn't work here right?"

"No, if you're born with, it's not magical. It's lineal in a way. So if you were born with it, your healing factor, it should be alright."

"Alright, so do we skip the first aid?"

"Definitely. It'll lighten our load. All we have are these duffle bags. Let's keep it moving," Cobalt glanced outside the tent and moved while signaling Cupcake to follow him.

He glanced once more before stepping into the final tent. He saw more crates and decided to crack them open. However, there were less of them in their, "This is definitely the food tent. They need to keep this open for certain items in the Mystic Realm."

However, in the middle of their raid, the same beginner guard earlier walked in and stood still in shock as she saw the two. Cobalt slowly began walking and he put his hands up, "I know this looks bad, but I assure you that-."

"I need-!" Cobalt glanced around as he felt time slow down around. He had to make a decision fast. He glanced around as he tried to make that decision.

* * *

Meanwhile, Silver and Blaze led an army of nearly 200,000 on the capitol of Uskain. They plan to attack an unprepared army. An army that the rest of their siblings are currently allied with. Far behind the army with another army of about 50,000 was led by Platinum. In the air, many apache, black hawks, and little birds that carried even more troops.

Chinook Helicopters carried some long range artillery and a small army of tanks filled the area around them. The Resistance were prepared this time. They didn't want a single person left standing after this battle.

* * *

In the capitol, Lavender was off to see Quartz, but ran into her other sister, "Oh, uh, Electric, Fluffy, what are you doing?"

"I'm off to see Quartz. I haven't seen or talked to him in the last two days, so I wanna see him," Electric responded.

"I was going to check on my little brother. He needs me to comfort him after last night," Fluffy retorted.

"Uh, I'm the only one that has actually been with him even before today. I'm the obvious choice to comfort him. And what do you mean your little brother? I've never seen you be a big sister to him. If anything, you belittle him too."

"Uh, I've been a big sister to him. I've uh...," Fluffy tried to back up her earlier statement, but couldn't find a way.

"Well, I've been a sister to him. We've even...," She looked around around softly said, "slept together..."

"So...," The two responded in a monotonous.

"What?! What have you two done that can top that?"

The two responded in unison, "Taken a bath with him..."

"Eh?!"

"Look, arguing about won't go anywhere. We're his sisters, let's just go together. I'm sure he'll be glad to see us."

"No I'm not," Quartz quickly spoke as he poked his head of the doorwat, "I am way too busy to do anything right now. Ta-ta!"

"Already picking up from me I see," the girls quickly turned to see Rarity standing behind them, "I'd say I would be enticed by him. Is that how Cobalt said it when he met me...?"

"What are you doing Auntie Rarity?!" Lavender exclaimed.

"Oh, you called me Auntie!" Rarity quickly jumped forward and grabbed both her hands to them together, "Your mother would be so proud to hear that."

"Geez, don't touch me you old hag..."

"Oh dear, I don't think a body as voluptuous as mine would be considered old," Rarity said as she bounced her chest slightly with her hands, "Are you jealous that you don't have anything that my son would enjoy seeing on you?"

"W-What are you on about?! Quartz d-doesn't care..., r-right?"

"Well, Fluffy here are a size DD. Hm, even Electric here is a CCC. Your sitting at a measly little B. You'll be lucky if Quartz likes them petite," Lavender hid her body shamefully as Rarity walked in front of him, "I'm his mother, so he'll definitely let me in. I'll reward him too when he does."

"Why are you trying to seduce your own son?"

"Honey, he's just like Cobalt when he was younger, and he's nearly at that age now, so it's best to test those waters while we're ahead. I need to give him some pointers."

"But he's only 15...," Rarity stopped and turned around quickly.

"Ahem, you are correct. Uh..."

"Can all of you keep it down? It's kind of hard to concentrate in here with all the noise out there. Thanks," And like that, he closed the door.

"B-But..."

"Hmph, serves you right," Lavender stated in victory.

"Wow, not even his own mom...," Fluffy said in shock.

"I'm still surprised she knew our bra sizes..."

"Oh," A soft voice spoke, "is there a hallway party going on here?" Everyone turned to see Lavender's mother, Fluttershy and Twilight, "Who are we waiting on exactly?"

"Fluttershy?! Twilight?!" They all exclaimed. Soon afterwards, Quartz poked his head out again for a short second.

"Oh, the two ladies I needed to see," Cobalt stepped out and greeted, "I didn't think Alicia would send the both of you."

"You owe me for doing so...," Alicia said behind them, "Tonight, come by my room. I'll make you owe me then," As Alicia said this, everyone around them stood around awkwardly blushing.

"Uh, mind clearing the context for the immature ones here Alicia," Quartz stated as he scratched the back of his head.

"What do you-," The thought crossed her mind as she thought about what she said, "No! It's not like that! Just... come by my room tonight!" Alicia stormed off obviously embarrassed at the situation.

"I really need to help her figure out the right words for the right context..."

"Ahem, anyway, Queen Alicia told us that you waned to speak with us, right Quartz?"

"Of course, uh, please step in," Quartz walked in as everyone followed. Everyone was astounded when they saw all the work Quartz has done in only a few hours. However, they also saw saw a few crumpled pieces of part and multiple cups of coffee that sprawled across the room.

"You did all this in only a few hours?"

"I've been up since I started. I haven't slept yet, and I don't want to right now. I need to get to the bottom of this,"Quartz said as he did some more work as they looked around.

"Quartz, if you need help, just ask. You can't carry such a heavy workload on your own..."

"I wanna do this on my own for a reason. I want to prove to everyone that I'm not just some incompetent kid. I can do things just as well as anyone else in our family. My chance to prove to everyone that I can do something...," Everyone paused as he aid this, but he clapped his hand, "But let's talk what I wanted to say. Aunt Twilight, I would like to know if you could upgrade my wrist blades," He shot his blades out so that she could check it.

"Alright, let me see if it needs any repairs first...," As she went to check on her blades, the group that arrived at the room first grouped up.

"Does it seem strange to any of you that he let them in without hesitation?" Lavender asked as she continued to look back.

"I don't know, but he also seemed happy to see Queen Alicia," Fluffy responded. She also glanced at her 2 aunts and thought back to Alicia, "They all vary in bust size. What does he like?"

"Uh...," Is all Electric could muster.

"For a mother to not even know her own son's taste..."

"Well, there's no repairs needed for this, but I can upgrade it slightly. I'll need to spend time making the upgrades however. I don't know how long that would take though..."

"That's fine. I need to complete my investigation here. As for you Aunt Fluttershy, I want to discuss the change for Lavender's weapon affinity. I don't see the practicality of using a harp in battle."

"I've tried to tell her, but she insisted on using that," Quartz chuckled as he leaned back.

"That sounds like her a lot..."

In their group, Lavender pouted, "What's that suppose to mean?" She thought back to her duels and losing streak before sighing, "I guess a harp isn't the strongest weapon out there..."

"What do you suggest Quartz?"

"Hm," Quartz thought about it as he walked around the lab, "well, we could try to train her using... oh," Quartz picked up a strange rock from a drawer, "It's what I got from the ship. It's unrefined plasma in its purest form," The rock was extremely colorful, but the pure-blood mystics in the room could feel weak at its sight, "The both of you aren't weakened by the effect, so maybe you two can brew something for her to use apart from her harp. Here, she can use firearms, but you can never be so sure."

"Alright, we'll see if we can do anything," Fluttershy stated, "Let's get to work on it," Before they left, Fluttershy hugged Quartz, "I missed you Quartz. I see you've changed. Don't worry about impressing anyone," Little did she know, Quartz was suffocating, "I just hope your mother could see that."

Back in their tiny group, "She's totally trying to win him over with her chest. What a smart girl...," Rarity said with disdain, "I can do just the same," Rarity broke from the group, and squished him from the other side of Quartz, sandwiching him between the two voluptuous women, "We have already made amends thank you very much, and I don't appreciate you suffocating him with those melons of yours Fluttershy deary."

"Oh please, you expect me to believe that? Ha, not even for a second would I believe that he warmed up to you in only a few hours..."

 _"As much as I would loved to be squished by some large boobs, I don't want it to be my own family members..."_

The two parents glared at each other as Lavender cleared her throat loudly, "Well, I don't think he'll take too kindly to being suffocated by the two of you," She pointed at Quartz head which was now gone in the two older women's breasts.

"Oops..."

"Oh dear..."

"I'm sorry Quartz," Both said as they bent over to comfort him, but he held his hands up to stop them.

"Please, no more comfort. I'm fine. Besides, I need to do some more work. I gotta get around this in some sort of way. I'm not quitting until I decipher this language and chemical formulas..."

"Alright, if you need any of us, just say so alright?" Rarity softly asked, "I don't want you becoming like your father and staying awake every night to complete his work..."

"I'll try not to. Also," Quartz paused for a second before continuing, "I feel that this place won't be safe for long. I'm worried. Not for just the queen, but for all of you. People are going to die... people will then choose who to fight for when this happens..."

"Quartz...," They all questioned him, but he chuckled nervously.

"S-Sorry, uh, just let me get to work...," Quartz instantly went back to work, and he acted as if no one else was in the room with him anymore. After realizing this, they walked out and thought about what he said.

"Could The Resistance really be coming here? After last night's raid, I don't think they would just sit by and let it happen."

"Well, it wouldn't be smart to attack the capitol. Unless," Lavender glanced at her other two sisters. The same two who were just in The Resistance, "Did Platinum tell the two of you any plans?"

"Well, hm...," They thought back, and then it hit them, "Actually..."

* * *

Lastly, while Cobalt was hiding with Cupcake and supposedly their hostage, the guards from earlier arrived, "Huh? Where that kid run off to?" One of them asked as he picked up the beer cans that were on the ground.

"Forget 'em. Let's get going. I heard we're finally launching our attack on the capitol. Let's go. I wanna rip that queen in half."

"Hey, I heard she was quite the looker. Maybe we could have some fun with her when we capture her. Turn her into a whore."

"That sounds good, but isn't she under aged?"

"What should it matter?! Why should we follow their dumb rules anyway? We'll just make our own! To freedom!" One guard toasted.

"To freedom!" The other one agreed. They walked off as the too sighed heavily, but Cobalt still had that one statement in his head.

"Cobalt...," Cupcake uttered, "your wives are in the capitol aren't they?"

"We gotta go...," Cobalt quickly let the guard go, but they stopped them.

"Please, take me with you. I can't stand it here, and there's no way I'm letting these Neanderthals ruin this island. Please allow me to accompany you."

"Uh...," Cobalt thought it over, but Cupcake stopped him.

"I don't trust her."

"Her?"

"Can't you tell it's a girl?" Cobalt looked over and nodded, "See? But I don't trust her. She's with them. How can we trust her so easily?"

Cobalt fell silent for a short moment, and chuckled, "I trusted you didn't I? And you attacked me. Let's bring her along. We could always use a helping hand," Cobalt turned to the young soldier and nodded, "Alright, you're with us. No any shortcuts to the capitol?"

"There's a yard over yonder that houses many trucks and vehicles. I can hot wire one and leave without any of the guards noticing."

"That sounds like a good plan. Alright, lead he way uh...?"

"Just call me Kat."

"Hm, Kat... again with the weird names. Let's get going quick. I need to get to the captiol as fast as possible..."

"We'll do it," Cupcake reassured him, "We can do this. Don't worry," Cobalt checked his equipment before sighing, "Let's get going. Kat, show us the way."

"Follow me...," Kat moved on with Cupcake following close, but Cobalt stayed back slightly as he saw multiple helicopters carrying artillery and siege weapons. Kat and Cupcake stopped as they witnessed the numbers of artillery and siege weapons they were bringing.

"They're not just planning a full-out assault, they planning to completely destroy the capitol...," They looked at each other as they thought the worst.


	16. Chapter 15

"Hey!" A guard yelled from behind them, "We have intruders!" They started firing at Cobalt and his partners, and just narrowly missing them.

"Get to the yard! I'll provide some suppressing fire!" Cobalt fired at the two guards that spotted them and stepped back as Kat and Cupcake sprinted towards the vehicle yard. In the midst of their firefight, Cobalt heard the whirring of a helicopter's wings and shook his head, "Where did all this equipment come from?" Cobalt looked around and softly swore to himself.

He sprinted behind him to catch up to the girls, but a bullet pierced his calf, sending him to the ground. He felt burn from the plasma, but got up and continued on. However, the wound took too long to heal and it was slowing him down slightly.

He was limping as fast as he could, but couldn't do anything that could properly defend himself, "Damn it! I hate being slow!" Behind him, the helicopter grew close as he turned to see it take aim at him. The miniguns on the helicopters side began to rev up and it fired it's rounds into Cobalt. He took out the plasma sword he took and tried to deflect the bullets.

Meanwhile, Cupcake stopped as she felt he was in danger, "We need to go back. We can't leave him behind."

"It's alright, Cobalt is the strongest being in the known universe. I may not have been born when the legends of his great deeds happened, but he's not one to be taken lightly. He'll be fine. Quickly, we're nearly there."

Although she was reluctant on leaving him, she did so anyway, "Alright, I hope you're right..."

"I know I'm right. He wouldn't be nicknamed the God of War for nothing."

Cobalt was now taking cover behind a tree as the bullets flew by him. He knew that once he leaves the safety of the tree, he would be shot into a million pieces. He had to think fast, but how fast could he think in this situation? He was a genius, but he couldn't think under this condition. It was then he saw a rocket fly by his head and take down the helicopter and all those who were around the explosion. He looked on in amazement as he saw the Storm Division taking the enemy troops out with ease.

The same leader from earlier picked him up and smiled, "Well, that's our good deed for the day. C'mon boys, let's get our emperor to safety!"

"Yes sir!" Cobalt was happy to see his troops. He had trained them himself and he was surprised to see how far they had come.

"Thank you Falcon. I knew I could count on you."

"Anytime your Highness. Let's go...," They dragged him over to the vehicle yard all while holding off the enemy resistance.

"What happened with going to the capitol?"

"Our transport unit was taken out by an ambush. The Resistance are ready for this assault and will prevent anyone from interfering. We don't know if we can hold them off with amount of firepower they're sending. They're coming in from 4 sides. They have already taken out the strongholds around the capitol in just a few hours. Now only the capitol remains."

"This..."

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid your family is in danger."

"That's why we can't waste anymore time. Let's get going."

They soon arrived at the vehicle yard to show Cupcake and Kat waiting on them, "Cobalt!" Cupcake yelled. She ran to give them a hand and saw that Cobalt was injured, "Oh no..."

"It's fine. My healing factor will kick in, but it'll take some time. Just get me in the truck and I can help will holding them off."

"Your Highness, we can order a chopper to pick you up not far from here. It'll be a bumpy road, so I hope you're all ready."

"We'll be fine..."

"We'll accompany you there. Get in. Uh, Ms. Cupcake was it? Please stand back here with him. I'll be in the front while the rest of my men help defend. I hope you're a good shot."

"I hope so too...," Once they put Cobalt in the truck, they hopped in and quickly drove off. They fired from the back of the truck to push the enemies back. A group of resistance soldiers drove up in motorcycles with molotov in hand.

"They're gonna blow us up with those molotovs. Take them out!" Kat yelled from out front. The Storm Division began their barrage of bullets with Cupcake checking on Cobalt.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Take those guys out first..."

"Okay, if you need any help or something just ask...," Cobalt nodded as she went to offering suppressing fire.

Once they got into open field, two other trucks appeared beside them, "They're gonna sandwich us! Do something!"

Two of the soldiers both nodded at one another before ripping the sides off the truck. They started firing at the truck's tires in order to pop them.

Eventually, the tires gave out and both trucks spun out of control. One of trucks flipped and exploded once it crashed on the ground. The other ended up spinning into their truck and ramming the end of it.

This sent the truck flying and flipping put of control like the one before. They went flying in the carry bed of the truck before everything went black...

In a large conference room somwhere, multiple species of high class individuals sat as they watched the events of the universe unfold. One human sat at the end of the table and sighed, "It appears that Discord's army will achieve universal domination if this keeps up."

"I'm afraid nothing can combat his army, and I doubt that's the end of 'em...," A reptilian-like creature responded.

"We cannot lose hope. I'm sure that all will be fine," A robotic person responded, "My sources say that the children of Cobalt will cleanse this darkness."

"I hope you're right..."

"Oh I hope so too," Out of nowhere, the door was blown open to reveal Discord and his mindless zombie army that housed the Ponies of Equestria and even some of Cobalt's top generals, "It'll make my quest for the Emperor's Jewel that much easier. What better place to check than the HQ of the Order of the White Fox. Now, Minentha, you secretly watch over Equestria and is second-in-command of the White Fox, so you must know where the Emperor's Jewel is. Tell me, and I just might spare you..."

The woman slammed her hands on the table before saying, "How would I know that? Cobalt hasn't even hinted as to where the jewel is. Besides, how did you even find this place?"

"I don't think having this HQ in the heart of the Mystic Realm is smart. Now, if you don't know where it is, then all of you are useless to me," He glanced at his army and snapped his fingers, "Please handle these useless heathens," They all nodded and started to close in on them.

"What's the plan now Minentha?" The dragon asked.

"All we can do is hope that Cobalt is doing what he can to fix this situation..."

Meanwhile, Cobalt's vision became blurry after the darkness disappeared. His vision slightly blurry as he heard multiple gunshots and the ricochet of bullets near him. He glanced at his hands and they were slightly bruised and charred. Once his vision cleared, he saw that they were surrounded by the enemy resistance.

One of the Storm Division troops turned around and gave him a weapon, "Take this and stay down your-," Before he could finish his sentence, a large hole appeared in his chest as he fell lifeless on the ground.

"Shit! Arctic!"

"Ugh...," Cobalt softly said as Cupcake was beside him still knocked out. Kat soon arrived and saw that he was okay.

"Alright, Falcon called for the helicopter to pick us up here. Arctic and Mantis are already dead. It's only the 6 of us left. We're low on ammo and some of the food from the tent was lost. We don't have much left to defend ourselves with. What's our plan?"

"We hold out," Cobalt pointed his handgun outside and killed one that was closing in on them, "I'll stay in here with Cupcake. You should too. Falcon and Halo should be fine," Cobalt shook Cupcake lightly, but she didn't budge, "I guess she's pretty knocked out. Kat, what's the ETA?"

"They said 5 minutes, and that was 3 minutes ago. We have to hold out just a bit longer..."

"Alright, let's hope we can..."

Meanwhile, in his lab by himself, he was now on the floor sipping some coffee and his clothes were stained and wrinkled, "I've only been at it for a few hours. Why does it look like I've been at it for a month!" He tossed his next cup coffee off to the side and laid on the floor, "What do I do now? I've done all I could to decipher all of this, but I haven't even gotten a breakthrough."

He quickly sat up and looked towards the outside, "Maybe I can go and ask for help...," He quickly shook his head and slapped his face, "No, I need to do this alone. I can do it. I just need something to spark an idea on what to do...," He rubbed his chin and snapped his fingers before saying, "Cue the montage music! But what music wouldn't be copyrighted?" He tried to think of the perfect song and just shrugged his shoulders, "Eh? Let's go!"

Meanwhile in the main city, Pinkie shuddered slightly as she looked in the direction of the capitol, "What is it Pinkie?" Applejack asked, "Ya' look like ya' saw a ghost or somethin'."

"Oh no, I just felt uh... a disturbance..."

Back with Quartz, he was softly singing, "The hours approaching, just give it your best, and you've got to reach your prime. That's when you need to put yourself to the test, and show us a passage of time. We're gonna need a montage. Montage! Ooh it takes a montage. Montage!" He was about to mix some chemicals together before someone interrupted him.

"Really? Team America?" Quartz fumbled the chemicals as he fell to the ground, "Isn't that way out of your generation?"

He poked his head up as he saw Saber, "Oh please, that movie was cool. You gotta admit, right?"

"Never seen it, but I know the memes and such. But uh, how's the research going?"

"Uh, good during the montage, or cut away. I don't know at this point. Whatever happens, happens. Anyway, what do you need Saber?"

"I just wanted to thank you."

"Thank me? What for? I doubt it's for the recon mission. I didn't do much of anything."

"If you didn't tell us about where the guards were, then we probably wouldn't even be here at this moment. It seems your training when you were younger is paying off, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess so. It does seem like that doesn't it?" Quartz chuckled as he leaned on the counter in front of him, "I mean, I only felt slightly more confident because of you. I mean because of you, I've gotten used to living here and training with firearms. I'm glad you're my partner Saber."

Saber lightly blushed and smiled, "Well now, your father's charismatic personality is in you a little Quartz. You say such nice things, and I doubt you realize that what you say to me and the other girls can be known as flirtatious."

"Uh? What do you mean?"

"Oh geez, you're still young, and you have no idea about girls and their feelings. That's just weird since you're living in a house with a father who has 7 wives. Hell, you even have 5 sisters. How do you not know a girls feelings?"

"Uh..."

"Oh man, I'm gonna talk to your family about this," Saber quickly left Quartz alone, confused at what just happened. Quartz only shrugged and started singing lightly again.

"You're gonna need a montage!"

Earlier that day, Fluffy and Electric explained the plans they were told to Alicia, "So my brother has a large army? How large?"

"Over a million. And he has tons of artillery and armored vehicles. He's ready for this assault. He's just waiting for the right moment..."

"Who's to say that moment is soon?"

"It may very well be. Quartz keeps hinting that he feels that a war is coming to the capitol soon. How long do you think we'll have?"

"Hard to say. Moving this many troops will take time. At least a week to move all of them."

"We can't risk an unknown attack. We have to take security measures. Saber, send a unit to directly protect the rest of Cobalt's wives. Better yet, we should bring them here. Lavender, take your sisters to their quarters. They must be exhausted after the last few hours. Tomorrow, the training will intensify," They all nodded as they worried about their possible doom from The Resistance.

Meanwhile, Cobalt and his small group was pinned down heavily by the advancing army, "Damn it... how much longer?"

"Shouldn't be too long. He should be here soon," Falcon was now the only one left from the Storm Division. All the other men perished from the continuous onslaught of the enemy resistance, "I hope it's soon because I'm running dry."

"Me too," Kat said as she loaded in another clip, "I'm on my last mag..."

"I only have half of one left..."

"Hold out...," Cobalt ordered as he looked behind him, "I can hear it...," Not long after, the whirring of helicopter blades filled their ears, "Get ready!" Cobalt shook and slapped Cupcake to wake her, in which she did.

"Huh?"

"Let's go...," Her eyes widened as she saw Cobalt looking over her, "Helicopter is about to land..."

"Okay...," Cobalt helped pick her up as he began limping with her, "Cobalt, are you sure you can carry me like this while you're hurt?"

"I'm fine. Don't worry about it..."

Soon afterwards, Falcon heard on his radio, "Hurry it up to the helicopter! The heat is too much. We can't stay long!" Falcon led everyone to the helicopter and offered whatever suppressive fire he could do.

"Get on!" Falcon yelled. Cobalt quickly helped Cupcake on before hopping in himself. He gave Kat a hand and reached out to help Falcon, "Go on without me! You need to get to the capitol and warn the queen!"

"I'm not leaving you!"

"If my men would die here, then I'll die with them," Cobalt fired off some shots into the advancing army and looked back and forth from the helicopter and Falcon, "Don't worry about me. I'm glad to have done this mission for you your Highness. Go protect your family."

"We gotta go! We can't stay here!" The helicopter started to rise as multiple rockets fired at them, swaying it slightly. The swaying caused Kat to fall out. Cobalt had managed to grab onto her, but their grip on each other was rather weak.

"Just leave me here. I'll be fine. Don't worry about me..."

"No, I'll be damned if I lose another ally in this!" Cobalt with all his might pulled Kat back onto helicopter. Kat looked at him with a surprised look, "I'm not one to lose too many people. I don't want to lose anyone else. Pilot, how long should it be before we get to the capitol?"

"Depends if any air units stall us. Don't worry. Those machine guns on the sides should ease the heat on us."

"Alright, I think it's best if we rest while we're ahead. I think I'm just gonna... sit here... and rest for a while...," Slowly, Cobalt fell asleep and/or passed out from fatigue. Cupcake slowly caught him as she laid him on her lap. She looked at Kat who only shrugged her shoulders.

 _"I wonder what will happen when we make it to the capitol. Are we going to go our separate ways, or will he actually stick with me? Abandon his own family just to save my own?"_ As Cupcake thought this, all she could do was smile, _"Of course not, he'll stick with me and get his own family to help. He promised me."_

Meanwhile, Quartz closed off some of the files as he stretched at his newfound evidence, "Whew! I'm glad I got something out of today. Oh, I should report them to Alicia!" Quartz ran out of the evidence room and sprinted to her room. Once he arrived, he knocked on her door quickly as she opened it just as fast.

"Oh, Quartz, I didn't expect you," She responded quite lustfully.

"Really? Earlier you asked for me to come to your room to make it up to you for getting Fluttershy and Twilight. Anyway, I have some great finding from my research earlier today."

"Uh, first off, I want you to make it up to me," She led Quartz in to a chair. She sat backwards on it, and laid on the back of it, "Give me a massage. My shoulders have been really tense these last two weeks. Just massage them a little for me alright?"

"Uh, sure. I'll tell you while I'm giving you one," Almost immediately, he started, and Alicia instantly felt relaxed, "Well, earlier, I found out that A.W. is a person that goes by the name Adonis Wilks. He's a supposed businessman that resides on Earth. He deals with international terrorists on illegal drugs and weapons."

"So you think he might be working with my brother?"

"Most likely. However, the chemical formulas written under his name got me thinking. What if he's creating some drug to enhance his soldiers fighting ability. I mean, they're all untrained, so maybe he plans to strengthen them that way."

"Hm, have you figured out where this Adonis guy is on Earth?"

"No, that's the only thing. I only got his name and what realm he lives in. However, I don't have the exact location of his facility. It's somewhere on Earth that's for sure..."

"I see, could we risk searching Earth?"

"It's best if we not cause an uproar in Earth at the moment. Even if whatever attacked my family is out there, he'll probably finish us off before them. Anyway, I also found out that Platinum gets his equipment from multiple sources. Some on Earth, and even the on the mainland. He has arms dealers everywhere and he uses them to get his equipment. Who knows what he has to combat us."

"I never knew this. Quartz..."

"That's not even the worst of it. Apparently, he has some soldiers from the mainland. Not even my sisters, but some former soldiers who had nowhere else to go. Makes me worried about what we could face..."

"Quartz, I'm worried for that very reason. Your sisters told me that my brother has over a million troops on standby for an attack on the capitol. They said that if he would mobilize them, it would take a week. I'm scared... we don't have the troops to defend against such numbers...," Quartz abruptly stopped which scared Alicia, "Quartz...?"

"Victory in battle... is not won through superior numbers," Quartz shot one of his blades out as he opened the balcony door in her room. He stepped out and pointed his sword to the sky, "I shall crush all those oppose me and my queen. Anyone who gets in my way will turn into rust on my blade. And I know that I'm close to discovering something. Those scriptures have something hidden in them. If I can have more time work on them I can...," Out of nowhere, Quartz pulled a gun out and ran to Alicia's side, "My queen, get behind," Quartz pushed her behind his back and kept one around with other on his gun. He radioed in, "We have an intruder... lock everything down..."

"Quartz what's going in?"

"Get my family to safety Saber..."

"Quartz!"

Out of nowhere, Quartz shot his blade out to his left and was knocked into the nearby wall. Soon afterwards, a black haired woman carrying a chain and sickle, "Oh dear, I didn't think he would be that weak. I expected more out of Cobalt's son. Ah, Alicia, just the women, I was looking for... hehehe..."

Meanwhile, in the halls, Lavender and her sisters ran through the halls only to be stopped by two familiar enemies of their father, "Greetings girls. I don't believe we've met."

"No, but you've met our father, Onyx, Gold. How are you here?"

"Platinum was nice enough to give us the chance to kill of you. It'll make his attack on this hideous capitol a whole lot easier."

"Not on our watch," The girls prepared to fight their father's former enemies.

Saber led Rarity, Twilight, and Fluttershy through only to see a group of soldiers slide in front of them. What turn the corner was a small mech that wielded an axe, "I guess we'll have to fight this thing to get through."

"I think we should check on Alicia. Quartz is alone with her, so they're going to throw all they can at her."

"This isn't a full on assault. It's a recon. They're just scoping the place out first. However, this means their attack won't be long from now..."

"I say we deal with this nuisance before we check on the queen and Quartz," Twilight offered.

"Yeah, I need my payback for last night," Saber said as she cracked her knuckles.

Meanwhile, Alicia was shocked at the force behind the hit, "W-Who are you?"

"Oh, sorry, allow me to introduce myself. I am Midnight. His father and wives know me very well. I expected more out of him. I thought he could block it, but oh well. I was told not to do anything to you, but how could I pass up on the moment...," Midnight whipped her sickle towards Alicia as she flinched, but bullets sent the sickle off course towards a nearby wall.

Quartz soon came in firing multiple shots at Midnight as she easily dodged each one. Quartz quickly ran to attack with his blades, but Midnight blocked and they met in a deadlock, "You won't touch my queen. To get to her, you go through me."

"That can be arranged," Quartz and Midnight attacked one another at lightning speed, much to Alicia's surprise. The two read each other easily, but it was obvious that Quartz was lacking in skill. Midnight had a look of boredom on her face, "Hm..."

They broke apart from one another with Quartz breathing heavily while Midnight was perfectly fine, "What's the matter? Why the long face?"

"This is too boring. I need a challenge. That's what this nation lacks. Without our mystical powers, fights like this are just boring. Just point," Out of nowhere, Midnight brought out a massive railgun and aimed it at Quartz before smirking, "and shoot," Quartz stepped back and prepared to block it.

Once the projectile came into contact with his blades, he stood his ground fiercely but eventually, he gave into the power of the railgun. The force from the railgun shot straight through him and left a massive hole in his chest. Quartz's body soon went limp as he fell lifeless on the ground.

Alicia looked on in shock as she slowly crawled to him, "Q-Quartz...?" She shook him even if she knew it was pointless, "Nooooooo!" Alicia started to weep on his lifeless corpse as Midnight watched on.

"Oops, I meant to take his head off. Oh well, onto you Alicia," Midnight pointed her railgun at her, but out of nowhere a bullet by her head as she turned slightly to see the rest of Quartz family and friends, "Man, I guess I won't be taking you out now. Gotta blast. I'll be back to finish the job!" Midnight then jumped high out of the balcony and was gone like that. Saber tried to follow her, but she was already gone.

She then turned to everyone else who were shocked to see Quartz laying lifeless on the ground. Saber ran to his side as they flipped him over. His eyes stayed open as she saw how lifeless he was.

"Is he...?" Rarity asked as she gripped her hand, "No..."

"How did this happen?" Lavender asked, "I need to know!"

"Lavender," Fluttershy placed her hand on her daughters shoulder as she shook her head at her. Lavender had tears fill her eyes as she hugged her mother, "Is there some way we can heal him?"

"Not even his healing factor can save him," Saber then looked at Alicia and said, "Unless you can help him..."

"My powers aren't even that strong. I can repair the damaged organs, but his skin won't be repaired."

"Well, you can heal him until then. For now, we need to prepare for another attack like...," Saber tried to stay strong, but once she felt a hand grab her own. She looked down to see Quartz gripping onto her. Once she saw this, she broke down slightly too, "Quartz!"

"Please... get me up so I can work... on the evidence..."

"No, you need to rest. We won't allow you to push yourself any longer," Lavender ordered him, " _I_ won't allow you to do anything until you're healed."

"Yes," Alicia spoke softly as she rose his head to meet him, "So please... rest now...," Quartz nodded as he slowly passed out.

Meanwhile, back at a camp stationed close to the capitol, Platinum sat within a tent with Silver and Blaze, "By tomorrow, we'll have the capitol surrounded on all sides. We'll have our artillery bombard them for the time being while we climb their walls and strike."

"We'll deal with our siblings. I'm guessing you'll be handling your sister?"

"Yeah, it's personal between us just as it is between the two of you and your siblings."

In the middle of their planning, Midnight, Gold, and Onyx entered their tent, "We have our scouting report."

"Ah, have our deeds been accomplished?" Platinum asked with curiosity.

"Not all of ours, but Midnight did complete her job," Onyx replied, "She was successful with the termination of Quartz."

"Great, that's one obstacle put of our way."

"Wait, when did we agree to killing our own brother?" Blaze asked.

"I gave him permission to do whatever was necessary," Silver responded with a deadpan tone, "Besides, he's an easy sacrifice."

"But..."

"That won't matter any longer. Our attack will start next week at the crack of dawn. We'll hit them when they least expect it. We'll match on yhem, and stop their reign to open a path for me. You're all dismissed..."

Later that night, Blaze gripped her fidgeted fiercely as she slept. Was her brother really dead? Was she blind this whole time by Platinum's lies? What would happen of they successfully take over the capitol? All these questions she wants answered now, but she'll have to wait... for the day of reckoning...


	17. Chapter 16

"Cobalt!" Cobalt's eyes slowly opened as he heard multiple explosions and gunfire around him. In front of him was Cupcake who was covered in gunpowder and dirt, "Cobalt wake up! We gotta get moving!"

"Huh?"

"The capitol is gone. There's no turning back. Rarity told us to meet her down the stream. She said that we can all regroup there. Kat watch out!"

"What...?

"Quartz! There's one on your left!" Saber yelled as she fired at the advancing enemy army.

"I got it!" Quartz responded as he quickly took out a resistance that got too close. Quartz was shirtless and bandaged as he sported only only a pair of bdu pants and combat boots.

"Anyone got an extra mag?! I'm running dry!" Lavender asked.

Quartz glanced around at all the empty mags and saw one last mag that was half used on the ground, "It's the last mag! Make it count! It's only at half capacity!"

"Thanks!"

"Come on! This way!" Fluttershy yelled as she guided the startled villagers to safety, "Rainbow, get all the children to a save area outside the walls."

"It's on it!"

"Pinkie, Aj, help me get the rest of the villagers to Boshin's Rock!"

"Gotcha'," Both women responded.

"Rarity, help me out here!"

"Don't worry Fluttershy deary. Go get the queen!" Rarity took over the villagers Fluttershy was leading leaving her to get Alicia.

"Alicia...," Fluttershy turned to Alicia who killed off a small group of resistance soldiers, "We have to get moving. The capitol is gone..."

"I know, but Quartz is still back there..."

"It's fine. Saber should know when to retreat. Let's get going. We've wrapped up nearly all the villagers," Alicia nodded as she followed her, but was stopped when she heard a distant whimper.

"Hello?" She went to investigate the noise, and it led her to a destroyed house. In front if it were two dead villagers. Both with bullet wounds to the heart. She glanced around for the noise and saw a turned over sofa. She ran to it and flipped it over to see a young girl no older than 4 years old.

"Mama...?" The girl softly responded.

"No, it's me... Queen Alicia..."

"Queen... Alicia?"

"Listen, it's not safe here. Come with me, and I'll keep you safe...," Alicia held put her hand and the girl slowly took it before Alicia carried the little girl in her arms.

She attempted to sprint to safety while covering the girl's head, but a nearby artillery strike sent her and the girl flying. Close by, a resistance soldier came sprinting at her with a plasma sword and was ready to strike as she protected the girl in her arms.

Now, you're probably wondering what has happened? I thought we left off from when the capitol was lightly attacked. Well, let's back it up a moment. This is about 2 weeks ago.

* * *

Quartz was laying in the infirmary unconscious. His wound was still visible as the skin around the repaired flesh had not come back yet.

Alicia successfully repaired all of his damaged organs and flesh, but due to her extensive use of power, she had fallen into a short magic induced coma. She's expected to wake up in a few hours, but no one knows how long it may be before Quartz awakens from his coma.

Lavender has yet to leave his side in the infirmary, and neither has his mother, Rarity. Lavender only glared at her aunt as she still heavily disliked her. Rarity could feel the hostility she was receiving, but she cared more about her son. The same son she thought was a problem child, but was only misunderstood.

Every time she tried to caress her son, Lavender would beat her to the punch. She would do it almost purposefully. Lavender would just keep that antagonizing glance. Rarity would only get more and more frustrated at each action she did to prevent her from doing anything with her own son.

Eventually, Rarity grew frustrated and stood up fiercely, "Hey there writer. I'm not getting up fiercely. I don't even know how to act that out.

Wait what?

"Anyway, Lavender dear, why won't you let me even touch my _own_ son?"

"When did he magically become your son? Last I remember, I overheard you saying that you'd wish that you had never given birth to him, and that he was a mistake."

"I never said such a thing."

"Oh yeah?" Lavender cleared her throat and started to speak like Rarity, "Well I've never met a child so vulgar and disobedient in my life! I wish we had worn protection that day so we wouldn't have had to deal with this," Lavender acted out as Rarity in an over dramatic way, "Ring any bells?"

"Mhm, well at least I'm not one to crush on him!"

"W-What?"

Rarity smirked as she pranced around as she pretended to strum a harp, "Oh Quartz, let's go in the garden and gander at the wonderful flowers my mother planted. Oh Quartz, please check under the bed for me. I think there's a monster. Oh Quartz, oh Quartz, oh Quartz!"

The two butted heads and glared at each other as a voice softly spoke, "Oh you two. Can't there be a time where the two of you see eye to eye?" They both turned to see Fluttershy who was carrying a hot wet towel and a large bowl, "Can't we come to the conclusion that we all care about him?"

"Hmph...," Both girls responded as Fluttershy knelt beside Quartz and wipped some traces of sweat and dirt off of him.

"Now is a time to recuperate. Who knows when The Resistance will make their move. After the last few days, we really need to. The others will be arriving here soon to discuss some sort of plan with Saber and Captain Whiskers."

"Do they know the whereabouts of our father?"

"Sadly, they have not told us anymore information on him. All we know is that he possibly could be on Depab, but we aren't for certain. However, there were reports of a massive firefight north of here. They said there over 150 casualties and 5 vehicles destroyed. Cobalt could be here in Uskain."

"We can't risk leaving though. I don't want to leave Quartz's side..."

"As much as I would love to go save our husband, I want to stay here with my son...," Like before, the two glared at each other as Fluttershy sighed in disappointment.

"Geez, when will the two of you get along? You two haven't gotten along even before this all happened? What's the matter with the two of you?"

"I hated how she treated him, and now she's trying oh so hard to go and do what she should've done years ago as his mother."

"I don't like how you try to steal him away. I admit it, I was jealous of the relationship between the two of you..."

Lavender slowly looked at Rarity before quietly saying, "Wait what?"

"I knew deep down inside that I wasn't parenting him the right way. No matter what I tried though, I would always look down on him because of his personality. I soon found out that if this keeps up... I'll lose my son... I don't want to... lose him..."

"...," Lavender remained silent as she slumped down as she gripped Quartz's hand, "I only showed him attention because of the lack of it. I showed him affection because of the lack of it from his own family. I loved him... because no one else would. I was angry at everyone in the family, but I didn't think about it. Rarity...," Lavender stood up and walked over to Rarity who was covering her face, "I may not have liked how you treated him before, but I remember my mother and father always said, 'People can change, and so can your feelings towards those people...,' I never thought that you even remotely liked him. I guess you proved me wrong. I'm sorry... Auntie Rarity..."

Rarity glanced up and hugged Lavender instantly which surprised her, but she slowly hugged her back. Fluttershy smiled as she saw the two finally make amends.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kat was sleeping along with Cobalt who was still out. Cupcake watched as everything moved at a relaxing pace. She sighed as she thought about how her family was. Or what was left of it anyway.

 _"I do_ _hope_ _they're_ _fine in Depab, and Meadow,_ _I_ _hope_ _she's_ _fine wherever she is. All my friends... I hope_ _they're_ _fine..."_

"So, when did you meet the Emperor?"

"Oh, just a day ago. I haven't known him long."

"But doesn't he rub off on you quickly? He's quite charismatic. I mean, he does have 7 wives."

"How are they? Are they all the same, or are they different?"

"Yeah, each of his wives have a specific personality and trait."

"Huh, kind of like my sisters..."

"You know, this is the first time anyone or anything has overpowered the Mystic Realm. I believe some of the people are going to see Cobalt as a failure for this."

"No, he's not a failure. I mean, whoever attack the Mystic Realm took out my realm and possibly many others."

"The people won't know that. They adored Cobalt because of how he ran the realm and how strong he was. However, think about how their savior was taken out with ease. How would that sit with the people?"

"Exactly...," The pilot sat silent before sighing, "We'll arrive at the capitol in the morning. Sleep for now. You've been through a lot today."

Cupcake nodded as she slowly fell asleep thinking about what the pilot said.

Everyone has gone through so much in a few days. No one expected any of this to happen. However soon, Cobalt's family will reunite. Sort of...

* * *

That next morning, the Main 7 and the kids walked into the infirmary to see Quartz, but what they saw surprised them. Quartz was now sitting up and leaning forward. A large bandage covered where his wound was. Beside him, Alicia rested her head on his shoulder.

They all started to walk forward, but Lavender stopped him. She pushed everyone out the room as she sighed, "He's still not awake. Alicia is, but she wanted to rest with him. I guess she feels as if it's her fault..."

"They both really care about each other...," Rarity stated, "You can see with how they react with each other."

"Huh, so Quartz actually has a girl falling for him? Wow...," Rainbow stated in shock.

"Maybe he has a charismatic personality like his father," Twilight stated, "I mean, I believe Saber has also fallen for him."

"Our brother is quite the ladies man huh?" Fluffy nonchalantly questioned, "Soon he won't have time for family."

"Oh, I sure hope he'll have enough time for parties. Oh Fluffy, we should throw him one when he wakes up!"

"Mom, I don't think that would be be a good time..."

"Oh come on, who wouldn't want want a party!"

"Ya' know, they said that The Resistance might arrive soon. Ah' say we gear up for an attack. Who knows if yesterday will happen again soon."

"First," They heard a voice respond. They turned to see Saber leaning against the corner, "there's someone you might want to see out on the helipad."

They all stared at each other as they all quickly ran to the helipad. Once they arrived, they saw everyone bowing down as Cobalt, along with Cupcake and Kat, stepped out of a helicopter. Cupcake offered Cobalt his shoulder as they stepped off the helicopter.

"I didn't think that you were this adored Cobalt..."

"This isn't even my nation and they adore me. This is beyond weird..."

His family stood dumbfounded until Saber snapped them out of it, "Well, go on. He is who you've been waiting on right?"

Nearly instantly, they sprinted over to him, "Cobalt!" His wives yelled.

"Dad!" His kids yelled as Cupcake stopped as she saw them charging them.

"Remember what I told you. Brace for impact...," Cupcake nodded as she slowly let go of Cobalt as he was tackled the moment she did so. Cupcake looked at Kat who just shrugged her shoulders.

"We were so worried about you. How did you escape from Discord's clutches?"

"I had some help from someone. Someone we all know too well..."

They all glanced down at his calf which was still healing, "Your calf. When did you get this?"

"Nah, don't worry about it. The plasma lost its effect a long time ago."

"Still..."

"Don't worry. Where's Silver, Blaze, and Quartz. I thought I sent them all here?" They stared at each other which worried Cobalt, "What's going on?"

"Well, Quartz is in the infirmary extremely injured. He's currently in a coma right now. They expect him to be out for a little bit...," Cobalt nodded as Lavender continued, "Silver and Blaze are fighting in The Resistance..."

"I see... may I see my son?" They all nodded as Saber approached.

"Let me take you there. However, don't be too rowdy in there. The queen is having her moment with him," Cobalt, although confused at her statement, nodded in agreement.

"Alright, let's get going...," Cobalt followed Saber as she led him and his family to the infirmary. Cobalt stopped and looked at Kat and Cupcake who were just standing, "Come on you two. We have to stick together," His wives and kids looked at him and he put his hands up, "I'll explain later. For now though, the two of you are sticking with us. I made a promise to you Cupcake, and I never go back on a promise."

"Cobalt, you don't have to. I'm sure Kat will help me with my problem. You have your family here, and I don't want to intrude on your reunion."

"Cupcake," Cobalt walked up to her and sighed, "your family isn't even together right now. I'm going to help you find your sister. No matter what it takes. And I know my family will help me with that, right?" Although reluctant, they agreed to help.

"Cobalt..."

"Don't thank me. I'm just doing the right thing. Something some of my kids can't seem to do right now. Come on, let's go see my son...," He looked at everyome, including Cupcake and Kat who nodded in reaponse.

They soon arrived at the infirmary to see Alicia still on Quartz's shoulder. However, they heard short sniffles and sobs from her. Cobalt stopped everyone and pushed them back. He put his finger on his lips and they quieted down to listen.

"Quartz, I don't want this to be our everyday life. You probably can't hear me like this, but I can't bear to see you like this. I want us to live peacefully, but my brother doesn't make that easy. Hell, not even the impending doom from the north won't help this situation. Quartz... I..."

Saber soon stepped in and softly said, "My queen," Alicia turned around as Saber presented Cobalt, "you have a visitor..."

"Ah...," Alicia turned back around and wipped her face before setting Quartz back down on this the bed. She soon stood up and gave one last good look at Quartz.

Cobalt turned around and ushered his family and friends out. They all nodded and waited outside, "Queen Alicia..."

"Please, just call me Alicia..."

"Well, Alicia, I believe you know why I'm here, correct?"

"I know it's not here to help us..."

"Yes, the Mystic Realm is soon to fall. It's only a matter of time before The Order of the White Fox falls into Discord's hands. We may only seek refuge here, but also request your help. However, I don't think that's even possible."

"I'm sorry, but with how bad things are getting here, it's just not possible. I just found out that my brother has an army of over 1 million ready to strike the capitol at any given time. I do believe you know that Silver and Blaze are in his ranks, correct?"

"Yes, I don't know why they believe he's right. He must be manipulating them somehow..."

"I don't doubt it. His manipulative skills are so good that it's scary. I heard that even has some of your own old enemies."

"Hm..."

"Cobalt, I need you and your family help to end the civil war here. The people are suffering because of this, and if Platinum wins, it won't be any better..."

"I know, but we don't have much. My family are still a little demoralized by this week's events..."

"Actually, Quartz here has done nothing but assist my army. In fact, he said he vows to end this war here. I only ask why you thought him to be incompetent..."

"Haha," Cobalt softly chuckled as he stared at his son. He knelt beside him and caressed his hair, "I never did think that. I was doing a little manipulating myself. I just wanted to see how he would act under the circumstances that he was the incompetent one in the family. My mom did the same to me. Why do you think Quartz is the way he is now. He's going to be like me in the future I can tell you that."

"Uh, even with the wives and everything?"

"That's up to him. If he can't handle more than one, then he'll stick with one."

"Okay...," Alicia was rather happy to hear that, but then her attention drew to what Cobalt said a few moments ago, "Wait, you said you did what you did purposefully. What about the rest of your family?"

"No, they didn't know. None of them did. However, at times, they almost did catch on, but they never did. The only person that did was a girl I used to babysit a few times. We would visit her sometimes, her name was Lapis, and she was pretty bright. She figured it out rather quickly."

"Does this girl uh... have a thing for him?"

"Haha, worried he might get taken from you?" Shyly, she nodded, "I see, but no. She doesn't have a thing for him. She's married and has 2 kids. She's 36 you know? I don't think he has a thing for older girls."

"Okay..."

After seeing how relieved she got, Cobalt asked, "You really love him, don't you?"

"With all my heart," She gripped her skirt slightly, "yes. I wish to be by his side forever..."

"I don't see why not. You're both 15, and I do believe the both of you are going to be 16 soon right?"

"Yes..."

"I think you two were meant for each other. I think it would work. You have my blessings..."

"Really?" He nodded which caused a whole avalanche of joy to burst through her. She gripped Quartz's hand and smiled as tears of joy flowed down her eyes, "Do you hear that? We have the blessings from your father... I want to be your wife..."

Cobalt could do nothing more than smile. He then glanced at the table beside Quartz and saw the necklace, "This necklace. Has it been... activated in anyway?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Has Quartz done any weird feats of elemental attacks?"

"Once when he first arrived. He used lightning in his spar against Saber. That's all though."

"I see..."

* * *

Meanwhile outside, everyone was questioning Cupcake and Kat, "So, you helped my father on his way to Uskain?"

"Correct, at first we thought he invaded Depab. My sisters and master swore to protect the island from any invaders, so we took to action. We never thought that he was so powerful."

"I see, but has our husband tried anything... indecent with you?" Rarity questioned.

"Rarity...," Applejack answered, "not in front of the kids."

"Right, sorry. Well, I still wanna know..."

"No, we haven't done anything. We just continued traveling here in order for him to reunite with all of you. I guess it ended up working. Sort of I guess."

"Yeah, we still have two out there..."

"I thought Blaze could see pass any sort of manipulation...," Sunset stated, "I taught her how to catch any sort of it..."

"Silver should know too...," Rarity added, "That young lady will get a stern talking to when I see her."

"And you Kat, you said our husband captured you. Is that really how it went down?" Twilight questioned, "I don't think he would do something like that."

"Well, he did raid a resistance camp with Cupcake here. I was the guard that caught him, but he took me and hid from the guards that came to check on me. I'm glad he did come when he did. I don't like Platinum's army or troops. They're monsters and some are just villagers he's forcing to fight. A man like him would only destroy Uskain."

"I know, but I actually have a question...," Fluffy started, "We just now figured out that Uskain was still somewhat functioning. Even allowing trade across other realms and such. How come we've never even heard of this place?"

"Actually, I agree," Saber added, "For some reason, I feel as if the last 20 years is all fuzzy..."

"Hm..."

"Do any of you think Discord could be behind it?" Cupcake questoned, "With what he's done so far, what if he planned for something like this to happen...?"

"It's best not to think about that," Everyone nodded as they thought about what was happening on the other side of that infirmary.

"Mom," Electric questioned, "We fought some your old enemies yesterday. Do you think we'll fight them again?"

"Only time will tell... only time will tell my Elec..."

* * *

-Two Weeks Later-

Fierce rumbles filled Quartz's ears as his eyes fluttered open. His vision was blurry, but he could see the rumbles among the blurriness. He looked to the right and saw multiple dead bodies and weapons. The door close by was blown out with flames surrounding it.

He slowly sat up but groaned in pain at his wound. He sighed as he stood up from his infirmary bed before falling onto the ground. His vision was still blurry as the ground underneath him shook. He stumbled ad he stood back up and once his vision cleared up he saw what was happening.

"We're under attack...?" It then clicked, "Alicia!" His eyes shot open as he looked around for a weapon. He took one of the handguns from one of the dead soldiers and made his way outside. He saw the hallways littered with dead bodies of both UNLA and resistance soldiers, "How long have I been out, and why for so long?"

He saw some resistance soldiers down the hall and shot at them. He missed his shots and it caught their attention. They fired at him causing him to take cover. He sighed as he tried to fire back, but they fired back fiercely.

"Damn it...," He looked around for anything to help him, and he saw an M-18 smoke grenade on the ground, "Welp, let's see what the do," He picked it up, pulled the pin, and tossed into the corridor. The smoke started leaking out as the soldiers were confused at first, but they started to fire into the smoke. Quartz shrugged his shoulders as he waited for them to stop firing.

He took one deep breath, like on the ship, and sprinted through the smoke. He fired at the guards who took cover from the gunfire. They reloaded and tried to shoot at him again, but he flipped over there bullets and landed between the group. He shot his blades out, and he stabbed two of the soldiers, killing them instantly. He turned to the remaining guards whom froze when they saw him. He pointed his gun at them, and they stumbled back. He clicked which caused them to flinch. He smirked and said, "Run," They did as he said and ran from him.

He sighed as he ran the other way, "Wait, the evidence. What do I do?" He thought about the repercussions of choosing which he would choose. He clenched his fists and ran, "Alicia's life is more important than the evidence!" Quartz dropped his gun and continued sprinting towards Alicia's room. However, he slowed down as he saw the destruction in the hallway leading up to it.

The hallway was littered with bodies and a wall was blown out near him causing him to leap forward slightly. He looked outside to see the mass amounts of soldiers and artillery firing in on the capitol, "What in the world? How long have I been out?" Quartz shook his head and sprinted towards her room as walls behind him started blowing up. He approached the door and kicked it open.

He was horrified at what he saw. He saw multiple dead UNLA soldiers and parts of the roof gone. He saw a pile of the roof on top of someone and he feared the worse, "A-Alicia...?" He pulled all of the debris of the body and saw Captain Whiskers, "Captain!" He turned them over and the Captain slowly opened his eyes.

"Quartz... you need... to save the queen."

"What happened?! How did this all happen?!"

"The Resistance attacked earlier this morning. They caught us off guard and threw our defense force out of order. The capitol won't last much longer...," The captain gripped Quartz's hand and said, "The queen is with Saber and your family. They're... in the panic room... the code... is 125...," Before he could say the final number, the captain passed.

"125 what?! Captain? Captain!" Quartz sighed as he slowly set him down, "Well, you were one of the few people I could actually stand here. I won't let your death be in vain. That's for damn sure," Quartz turned around and thought back to his first night with Alicia.

 _"Quartz, if anything were to happen to where I would have to enter a panic room, remember the code. The code is 125...0..."_

"Right, I remember now...," Quartz ran out of the room and sprinted to the many panic rooms. Alicia had multiple panic rooms setup to prevent the attackers to find her.

* * *

Meanwhile, Platinum stood along side Silver and Blaze as they gazed upon the destruction, "I estimated the fall of the capitol will be within the next hour Platinum. Then, you will be able to free the people of this nation."

"Yes, finally, my dream will be realized...," Blaze noticed a devilish grin as Platinum said this. That grin caused the pit of her stomach to curl a little.

 _"I_ _don't_ _like_ _this one bit. I thought we could trust him, but_ _he's_ _just a manipulative bastard. I wish_ _I_ _would've_ _listened to Lavender's warning. I wish_ _I_ _would've_ _left with Fluffy and Electric..."_

"Silver, take Blaze and help storm the capitol. It'll quicken the pace," Silver nodded and waited for Blaze to do the same in which she did, yet hesitantly.

* * *

Quartz soon arrived at the last panic room and entered the code, "This has to be it," Once the door opened, he was met with the barrel of a gun. He stared down it and looked at the perpetrator. It was Lavender, "Lavender?"

"Quartz?!" Lavender instantly put her gun down and hugged him, "We didn't mean to forget you. We had to get the queen to safety."

"I'm fine. Where is Alicia?"

"Inside, we have Saber with us. Everyone else is rounding up the villagers and fleeing the city."

"Alright, I think it's best if we join them," Quartz stepped inside to see Saber taking aim at him and instantly put her gun down, "We should go...," He told her, and then he glanced at Alicia. He walked towards her and put a hand on her shoulder, "Alicia..."

"I'm sorry...," Quartz was confused at what she had said. However, she just kept saying this as she was curled up in a ball.

"What are you sorry for?"

"I wanted to go get you, but everyone opted against it. I wanted to get you... I didn't want to lose you..."

"Alicia..."

"I'm sorry..."

Quartz sighed as he gripped both of her shoulders fiercely, "Listen, I'm alright. Besides, I made it didn't I? I'm not someone to be taken lightly. Trust me, I'm fine. I'm more so worried about you..."

Alicia slowly looked up at Quartz and met with his eyes, "Quartz...," She responded with as the two stared intently at each other.

Lavender glared at the two flirting at such a time, causing her to frown in jealousy and anger, "Ahem!" The two broke their glances, "We have more pressing matters than your flirting."

"Right...," Quartz nodded at Alicia as Saber tossed a rifle to him, "What's our current situation?"

"Well, we're surrounded on all sides, and most of the defense force have been killed. They attacked while everyone was asleep. They destroyed our armory and what's left of the capitol defense force is helping the villagers escape."

"Where will we go once we escape?" Quartz questioned, "We won't have anywhere else to go when Platinum takes the throne."

"Your father said something about heading over to Depab..."

"Why Depab? I feel like that won't even be safe from Platinum and his army."

"We'll have to make do Quartz," Lavender responded, "Our father said that there are some powerful warriors there. I'm sure we can be able to fend them off."

"Alright, so how are we going to do this?"

"Our best bet is to push our way out of here. Quartz, can you take point? You're the only one that can really do hand to hand combat."

"Right..."

"Saber, you're on our six. We'll set Alicia in the middle and act as her barrier. We have to move fast. This means swift kills, no slowing down."

Quartz smiled and patted Lavender's head, "Well look who's taking the initiative. I'm proud of you Lavender."

Lavender snorted and chuckled while twirling her hair as she he told her this, "Oh Quartz..."

"Oh, and I'm not allowed to flirt?" Alicia scoffed as she was slightly jealous of them.

"We can all act like kids later. Let's get going."

"Right," They all made their formation around Alicia, and pushed their way through the capitol building, killing anyone in their way, "Be on your guard. We can't let our guard down for a second."

"Right," They all responded.

Outside, Cobalt shot at a whole group of resistance soldiers as Cupcake and Kat were watching his back, "Keep up the fire. We can't let them overrun us!"

"Right!"

"Cobalt, I need a mag," Kat requested.

"I got you," Kat released her mag, and Cobalt rolled to her and put a mag into her gun. Cobalt fired to where she was watching, and she switched positions with Cobalt and took his former position.

"To think, we learned how to handle these weapons and fight in only 2 weeks!" Cupcake said as she fired into another group of resistance soldiers.

"It was all thanks to Saber and Captain Whiskers. Without them, we would be completely clueless!" Kat responded, "I guess the UNLA can make up in experience for what they lack in numbers."

"Experience can only go so far. They were ready with their large mass of numbers...," They knew they were in for a fight, but the fight seemed endless.

"We're running dry Cobalt. We can't hold this position for long..."

"Just keep holding it! Conserve your ammo! Aim to kill at this point!"

"Right!"

* * *

Meanwhile, the Main 7 did what they could to assist in the evacuation of the villagers. However, the artillery made it somewhat difficult, "Gah! This stupid, nonstop artillery is getting a little annoying...," Rainbow stated in frustration, "I wish we could do something about this..."

"No use doing so. No one else can get the villagers out. Most of the UNLA are dead and the rest are off in the capitol building. We have to stick here and get the villagers out of here," Twilight retorted.

"Man, if we had our mystic powers, this would be so much easier..."

"Yeah, but that would make this bloodier. More blood will be shed, and more lives will be lost. We can't risk it...," Fluttershy added, "Let's get this done and help our husband..."

"Right..."

However, in the distance, a group of resistance soldiers appeared and fired into a group of villagers. Acting fast, Rarity deployed her transparent, diamond shield, much to everyone's surprise. Pinkie then jumped over the shield and fired into the group of soldiers. Everyone then turned to her wide-eyed.

"'Ah thought our magical powers were useless."

"No...," Twilight started, "They never were. Remember when we first got here? Rainbow could still pony up without hassle, and back at the motel when I...," Twilight fell silent causing everyone to pause. However, a close by artillery strike snapped them out of their trance.

"I think we get the point right now. I think we should get ourselves and these villagers out of the line of fire," Sunset suggested, "However, we should get to the bottom of this. Hopefully Queen Alicia knows something about this," Everyone nodded as they searched around for any straggle villagers.

Meanwhile, towards the exit of capitol building, everyone had managed to get out unscathed. Quartz looked around at all the destruction up close, "This is..."

"Quartz," Lavender spoke, "let's get to cover quickly. Our family is this way. Let's hurry up."

"Right..."

They waited for the right moment, and sprinted their way towards the evacuation area.

* * *

Meanwhile, Fluffy and Electric positioned themselves on a high hill hidden amongst the forest trees. They were equipped with semi-auto plasma snipers, and a plasma sub-machine gun. They sniped whatever enemies got close to the extraction point. Electric traced her sights over to Alicia and the others, "There's Alicia, Saber, Lavender..., and Quartz! He's awake!"

"Really?" Fluffy traced her scope over to them, and she began to be filled with happiness, "Report it in!"

Electric nodded, "Hello? Aunt Fluttershy! Alicia, Saber, and Lavender are making their way to the extraction point and Quartz is with them!"

"Oh my...," Fluttershy turned to Rarity who looked at her in confusion.

"What is it?"

"Quartz is awake..."

"What?!" Rarity looked towards the capitol, and started sprinting towards it.

Fluttershy followed her, but stopped to tell her friends, "Stay here and prepare to move the rest of the villagers!"

"Right!"

Rarity saw her son and niece guarding Alicia along with Saber. Once Quartz saw her, he smiled, "Mom!" He sprinted to her and hugged her. They embraced one another as everyone watched on smiling. However, it all stopped when Quartz quickly pushed Rarity aside and preparred his blades as a Resistance soldier tried to slice her with his photon sword. Quartz blocked him as electricity moved through his blades, "Don't you touch my mother!" Quartz kicked him and sliced through him leaving an electric X to cut the soldier. The soldier fell lifeless onto the ground as everyone watched on in awe.

"I thought... only you were able to use magic of any kind...," Saber asked Alicia who only responded with silence.

"That's not magic...," Lavender added. That's the future of the Mystic Realm. My brother: Shining Quartz..."


	18. Chapter 17

Silver and Blaze glanced at the destruction in front of them. Silver had a makeshift version of her shield and sword from home while Blaze had a plasma rifle sporting a split bayonet at the end of the rifle's end. On her belt, she had two plasma swords that had sharp grappling hooks on the hilt of them, "Silver... I don't know..."

"Blaze, as your older, I'm ordering you to follow me. We need to take that queen out and save our sisters."

"And what of our brother?" Silver fell silent which angered her, "Our brother could be in that building either injured or even worse, dead!"

"Blaze, someone like my brother doesn't matter in a family built around power, intelligence and finesse. It was the best way to pick off the scraps. Hell, maybe I'll order them to take Lavender out too. What does she do? Sing? Write poetry? Nothing that can help our powerful family. She's just more useless trash that doesn't deserve to be part of our family."

"Silver... do you even hear yourself right now? You sound like a monster! I...," Blaze soon pointed her rifle at Silver and said, "can't allow you to do that. I don't know what Platinum did to you, but you're not the Silver I remember from the mainland. You're... a tyrant. Right now, you're not my sister. You're my enemy..."

"Hmph, I knew they would get in your head," Silver turned towards Blaze with disappointment on your eyes, "I guess it's my duty as your sister to whip you into shape," Silver unsheathed her sword and shield as she took her battle stance, "I'll whip you into shape. Then, I'll whip those other annoying sisters back into shape aswell."

"No, I'm whipping you into shape. I'm gonna make you the sister that I know and love..."

"Same to you..."

* * *

Back to the front, Quartz turned around towards everyone and stepped forward. He looked around and picked up the soldiers gun. He took all the ammo he had and looked around at the other soldiers around them, "Hold on, give me a sec," Quartz held his hand in front of him and slowly balled his hand into a fist, "Rise: Wall of Earth!" In front of them a large rock wall popped up in front of them. Everyone stared in shock at what they saw.

"Earth? Electricity?" Lavender wondered. Rarity's necklace began to glow a dirt brown as did Silver's.

Silver noticed this and looked towards the capitol with shock, "Two elements?" However, she had to quickly guard from Blaze's attack.

Rarity glanced at her necklace as it soon started to glow red, "Red? Fire?!" Quartz jumped on top of the rock wall he waved his hand into the gun he had, "What is happening to him?"

"He's awakened...," Alicia answered. She turned to everyone as she explained, "Trust me, when I was resting on his shoulder, I felt some sort of abnormal power running through him. I decided to search my library last week."

* * *

-A week ago-

"Hm, what happens when a large amount of power is running rampant through someones body?" Alicia scanned every single book in her private library trying to find an answer. Alicia found herself looking for hours upon hours for an answer, "Now I now how Quartz felt when he was working with that evidence."

She spent 4 straight days looking for an answer before, "Wait," She found it, "I found it!"

* * *

-Present day-

"Quartz has had this power awakened when he was attacked by Midnight. His power is called: Elemental Efficiency. It's not a mystic power. It's a power passed down through a race that no longer exists. A race that Cupcake is part of. Quartz is not only a mystic... he's an Elemental Hero."

"Wait what? I thought even Elemental Heroes couldn't sport more than one element. Unless the Omni-Dragon allowed them to."

"That's what Elemental Efficiency does. It allows him to have any element at his disposal. That, combined with that necklace he's wearing increases the power of those elements ten-fold. Cobalt also told me that the necklace he has increases the power of you, himself, Quartz and Silver when you're within a 100 mile radius of each other. Which means, Silver is close by," They all looked around as Quartz shot his fire induced weapon into the artillery outside the capitol walls, "I don't want to assume, but I think the three of you also have that ability. That necklace holds many more secrets that Cobalt has refused to tell me. I suggest you get answers from him about these necklaces. These necklaces aren't from this realm. Hell, I don't even think they're of this dimension."

Cobalt looked at his necklace as he held his hand up. A massive ball of fire formed in front of his hand. This shocked both Cupcake and Kat as they witnessed this, "Get behind me," They nodded as he took a deep breath. He looked at the large group of resistance soldier frozen in fear before he fired off this large fireball at them causing the explosion to kill all in its path.

Silver looked at her necklace as well as she banged her shield. It started to have a green shock effect around it as she charged towards Blaze who braced for impact. However, as soon as that shield came into contact with her swords, it shattered them and she was pummeled by it. Silver knocked her into the air before jumping up to meet her. She began winding up her next swing and...

Quartz jumped back down to meet the others about the next plan, "All that just wore me out a little. Look, Mom, Aunt Fluttershy, and Alicia, get the villagers to safety. Is there anywhere we can take them to regroup?"

"Uh, Boshin's rock is a safe place. It gives us much more cover. From there, however, we'll have to traverse through a large ravine of sorts."

"I see, if it's going to get the people to safety, then so be it. You two," Quartz pointed at Lavender and Saber as he handed them two guns and a load of ammo, "stay here with me and we'll cover this part. We can't let them get past us. My father is defending the other side too, right?" They all nodded as he cocked his gun, "Yeah, let's get to rocking!" Everyone went off to do whatever Quartz ordered them to do. This brings us back to now

* * *

"Cobalt!" Cobalt's eyes slowly opened as he heard multiple explosions and gunfire around him. In front of him was Cupcake who was covered in gunpowder and dirt, "Cobalt wake up! We gotta get moving!"

"Huh?"

"The captiol is gone. There's no turning back. Rarity told us to meet her down the stream. She said that we can all regroup there. Kat watch out!"

"What...?

"Quartz! There's one on your left!" Saber yelled as she fired at the advancing enemy army.

"I got it!" Quartz responded as he quickly took out a resistance that got too close. Quartz was shirtless and bandaged as he sported only only a pair of bdu pants and combat boots.

"Anyone got an extra mag?! I'm running dry!" Lavender asked.

Quartz glanced around at all the empty mags and saw one last mag that was half used on the ground, "It's the last mag! Make it count! It's only at half capacity!"

"Thanks!"

"Come on! This way!" Fluttershy yelled as she guided the startled villagers to safety, "Rainbow, get all the children to a save area outside the walls."

"It's on it!"

"Pinkie, Aj, help me get the rest of the villagers to Boshin's Rock!"

"Gotcha'," Both women responded.

"Rarity, help me out here!"

"Don't worry Fluttershy deary. Go get the queen!" Rarity took over the villagers Fluttershy was leading leaving her to get Alicia.

"Alicia...," Fluttershy turned to Alicia who killed off a small group of resistance soldiers, "We have to get moving. The capitol is gone..."

"I know, but Quartz is still back there..."

"It's fine. Saber should know when to retreat. Let's get going. We've wrapped up nearly all the villagers," Alicia nodded as she followed her, but was stopped when she heard a distant whimper.

"Hello?" She went to investigate the noise, and it led her to a destroyed house. In front if it were two dead villagers. Both with bullet wounds to the heart. She glanced around for the noise and saw a turned over sofa. She ran to it and flipped it over to see a young girl no older than 4 years old.

"Mama...?" The girl softly responded.

"No, it's me... Queen Alicia..."

"Queen... Alicia?"

"Listen, it's not safe here. Come with me, and I'll keep you safe...," Alicia held put her hand and the girl slowly took it before Alicia carried the little girl in her arms.

She attempted to sprint to safety while covering the girl's head, but a nearby artillery strike sent her and the girl flying. Close by, a resistance soldier came sprinting at her with a plasma sword and was ready to strike as she protected the girl in her arms.

What sent this whole thing into disarray. Well, when Silver knocked Blaze into the air, she sent her flying into the village everyone was in, but she didn't stop there. Her necklace began to glow red as she balled her fists with a red aura surrounding it. She smirked extremely devilishly as she punched the air sending multiple balls of energy following Blaze as she collided with the ground followed by the balls of energy.

However, Blaze landed beside Cobalt with a loud thud. Cobalt checked on the explosion and was shocked at what she saw, "Blaze?"

"Cobalt! What is it?! They're closing in!" Cupcake said as she ran over to him as she held a suppressive fire.

"M-My daughter...," Cobalt slowly walked forward until the hair on the back of his neck shot up. He looked up to see those same balls of energy coming down on him, "Cupcake move!" He pushed Cupcake out the way and attempted to cover Blaze. Of course, this resulted in what happened earlier.

* * *

So back with Alicia's situation, the soldier readied his sword, but was sliced in half by not Quartz's sword, but Silver, "Huh? W-Who are you?"

"Oh, my brother hasn't told you about me?"

"Silver?"

"Oh he has! Well, I might as well take care of you right now. Only then will I free my family from your evil clutches!"

Alicia tried her best to cover the child in her arms as she flinched. However, a gunshot rang through out as Silver turned around and sliced the bullet in half. Alicia looked around her to see Quartz with Lavender and Saber behind him. He held up a handgun with the other two pointing plasma rifles at her.

"Hm, I guess you lived. No matter though, I'll take care of you after I kill your queen here," Silver brought her sword to Alicia's neck which angered Quartz. Silver chuckled as she smiled devilishly, "Why don't you try stopping me?"

Lavender and Saber pointed their guns at her as the rest of the family joined together, "Silver!" Rarity yelled.

Silver turned to see her mother and Aunts which angered, "So you got my whole family on your side? How manipulative are you?!"

"She's not the manipulative person Silver!" Silver heard Blaze's voice from behind as she groaned in frustration.

"Didn't I put you in your-," However when she turned to meet her, she saw her father offering his shoulder to her. They were followed by Cupcake and Kat, "Father?"

"Platinum is the one manipulating you! I can see it in your eyes! Wake up!"

"I-I see what's going on here. H-Her power is so powerful t-that she's controlling your minds."

"Silver, my dearest daughter, please listen to reason!" Rarity pleaded.

"Mother...," Cobalt only stared as he glanced at Quartz who was balling his fists fiercely, "Don't worry everyone, once I destroy this conjorer of evil! You'll all be freed!" Silver with a crazed look in her eye attempted to cut Alicia's head off, but was met instead by Quartz's blades.

"You won't lay a blade on my queen. I'll die before anything happens to her," Quartz kicked Silver away from Alicia as he turned to her, "Get to Boshin's Rock," He then glanced over at the young child, "And get this young one to safety," She nodded as she ran off, "The rest of you, go with her and keep her safe. I'll handle this nuisance."

"Alright...," Lavender glared at Silver before running off with everyone else. Rarity stayed behind just a bit longer, but Lavender reassured her, "Don't worry. I don't think this will go too far. Come on," Lavender sprinted ahead of her, but Rarity was still worried.

Her two kids were about to fight off with one another. Possibly to the death, "Be safe my kids...," She ran off with the others as Cobalt looked at his two kids. He didn't say anything as he helped Blaze walk while making their way to Boshin's Rock.

"Quartz, why are you like this? Has she really gotten into your mind that badly?"

"I'm like this because I found my sense of justice. You seemed to have lost that. I guess, you could say... love is what got this feeling of justice out of me."

"Love?"

"Something I was denied from my own family. I got my love here, and now I found my sense of right and justice. I guess it's my job to teach it back to you."

"No, you, you can't do that! I need to protect you!" Silver charged at him and they met into deadlock, "I can't let anyone steal you from me!" Quartz looked at the psychotic look in his eyes.

"What's wrong with you?"

"I can't allow anyone to steal you away from me! You're mine!"

 _"Oh, I get it. She must have some sort of brother complex. If she's that obsessed with keeping me under her control, she must be extremely obsessive."_

"You're mine!"

Quartz was easily countering her attacks while thinking at the same time, _"Hm, so if I try to work into her brother complex, I can get to her. The real her..."_

"Quartz!" Silver yelled.

"Silver...," Quartz started, "I don't want you to be like this. This isn't the sister... I knew from my younger days. You're not the sister that helped me through hard times. Saved me from bullies. You're not the sister I grew up to love and care for."

"No..."

"You need to think about who you really are! Beat this jealousy! Beat Platinum and his lies!"

"Y-You're my brother... my little brother..."

"That's right, but think about your sisters and who they are. Think about our aunts, our mother, and our father. Would he really find himself to be manipulated? He's the strongest being in the entire universe!" Quartz kicked Silver back, and then instantly disarmed her as she staggered back from the kick. Quartz pushed her down and pinned her onto the ground, "Think back to the last 22 years of your life! Think about who you are Silver!"

That last sentence echoed throughout her ears as each childhood memory flooded into her mind..., "Remember..."

* * *

-15 years ago-

"Mommy, can I see my brother?" A young Silver stood beside her family as Rarity held a newborn Quartz.

"Of course sweety. Fluttershy, can you be a dear, and hold him for to see?"

"Of course I will. Come here young one...," Rarity handed Fluttershy the newborn Quartz as she knelt down for Silver to see, "Look at him Silver. He's healthy isn't he?"

"Yeah, he's cute...," Silver held her finger in front of him, in which he smiled, "He's smiling!"

"Don't be too loud Silver."

"Sorry...," Silver smiled back at her new brother as she asked, 'What's his name?"

"Quartz, Shining Quartz..."

"That's a nice name... Quartz..."

* * *

-Present-

"Quartz, you're my brother. My younger brother. My only brother. How could I... be so blind?" Silver avoided Quartz's gaze but she instantly looked at him when he planted his face into her chest causing her to blush, "W-What are you doing?!"

"Finally! Do you know how scared I was if I had to actually fight you? I wouldn't even bring myself to do it. Silver," Quartz paused as he looked at her with a smile, "I'm glad you're back..."

"Quartz...," Silver teared up as she hugged Quartz extremely hard, trapping his head between her arms and her breasts.

"Not again!"

"Oh I'm so glad to know that you love and care for me! Oh, I wonder if it's romantic love, but that type of love is forbidden between siblings. Oh but what if we kept it on the..."

"Silver," Quartz said muffled, "suffocating from big breasts!"

"Oh, sorry," Silver released him only to hug his one last time, except he wasn't enveloped in her breasts, "Yay! I'm back!"

"Alright, let's head to Boshin's Rock," Quartz helped his sister up as groups of resistance soldiers surrounded them, "Looks like we have company..."

"Oh my, this could've been a lot easier if you had just used that jealousy Silver. You would've gotten whatever you wanted if you had stayed on my side," Platinum appeared leading this group of resistance soldiers as he sported a look of disappointment, "Oh well, no use keeping you alive anymore. I'm sure that my good friend Discord would thank me."

"Discord?!" Quartz exclaimed, "You're working with Discord?"

"Of course, how else would I have been able to control your sister so well? I'm surprised you were able to jog her memory back. I guess it's not as effective as Discord's himself. No matter, I'll have no choice but to kill you both right now. Attack...," Platinum ordered as he walked off leaving his soldiers to do his bidding."

"Silver, give me your shield."

"Why?"

"Just trust me. I have an idea to get out of here quickly...," Silver nodded as she handed him her shield. Quartz then threw it on the ground and hopped on it. He then held out his hand to Silver and said, "Come on, let's go...," Silver grabbed his hand and she stepped on her shield. Quartz then pointed his hand backwards, "I have something a friend gave me earlier," Not long afterwards, a large beam of flames fired from his wrist shooting them forward, similar to what Cobalt did with Cupcake. They used the shield to surf along the ground while getting their boost from the fire.

"What are you using for the fire?!"

"Saber gave me a wrist flamethrower before we retreated! I didn't think I needed, but I'm glad I had it!"

"So who's this Saber?" Silver asked accusingly.

"My partner!"

"P-Partner?! Like, your life p-partner?!"

 _"Oh right, her brother complex...,"_ Quartz sighed as he explained, "No, she's sort of my instructor/partner. She accompanies me into battle and such while teaching me at the same time."

"Oh, well good. You are much too young to be having any type of relationships."

"I'm 15 coming up on 16. I want a girlfriend."

"Aren't your sisters enough for you? Especially me?"

"Are you serious? I can't date or marry my sisters. Which is why I'm trying to hit it up with Alicia."

"Y-You have feelings for her?!"

"Yeah, and I believe she has the same feelings for me as well..."

"B-But what about us?!"

"You act like I'm going to abandon all of you when I get a girlfriend or something. I can't forget any of you. I mean, you all are my sisters. How could I forget any of you?"

"Because... I thought you had not cared for the family..."

"I've been through some events to show me that how I was before was..."

"Terrible?"

"Yeah you could say that. Alicia and everyone showed me my destiny. My will to move on in life. I now have a set path in life..."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I"m sure. Uh oh," Quartz's wrist flamethrower started to puff out smoke slowly.

"What's happening?"

"We're losing fuel," Quartz shot his blades out and he stuck his blades into the ground to bring them to a stop, but the speed they were going was making it difficult, "Silver, use your sword too!"

"But this isn't like my sword from back home..."

"That doesn't matter. Do it or we're gonna crash into that ravine ahead of us!" Silver nodded as she took out her sword and stuck it into the ground. This increased the effect of them braking, but it wasn't enough, "Uh oh, prepare for impact!" They both hugged each other fiercely as they approached the ravine as they fell off.

"Welp, my first time back with you and now we're gonna die together. Well, I guess there's only one thing to do!" Silver grabbed Quartz's face and puckered up.

"What are you doing?!"

"Just something I've wanted to do for a long time!"

"No please! Silver, I can't afford dry cleaning!" As Silver inched closer, they were magically stuck in mid air, "Wait what? What's happening here?"

"I see you kids are having a great time!" Twilight yelled from one side of the ravine as she held them up with her telekinesis powers. Behind her was everyone else. All of their sisters were blushing along with Alicia who was mostly angry from jealousy.

"I-It's not what it looks like!"

"Yeah, yeah, explain when I put you both down. We're planning our next move. Silver, it's good to know that Quartz finally put some sense into you," Twilight brought them over to him as when she did, everyone hugged them greatly.

"We're so glad you're back Silver!" Electric said as she sniffled a little, "Now we can be a family again."

"Not right now we can't," Cobalt started as he walked up with Cupcake and Kat behind him, "Our home here is in the hands of an enemy so strong that it has taken over nearly every single realm in this dimension and possibly others."

"Father, Platinum said something that should worry you...," Silver started, "Discord knows about Uskain..."

"What?"

"He said that he was controlling Silver's mind since her mind was easy to manipulate, but his manipulative powers aren't as strong as Discord's himself. I'm afraid that Discord will make his push towards the south soon."

"Yes, now that he knows that we're all here and the last of the the Mystic Realm's defense is down here, he'll surely push down here destroying all in his path."

"If we land in Depab, we'll be attacked from two sides. What are we going to do Cobalt...," Rarity asked as she worried about their own safety.

"I don't know. For the first time, I don't know what we can do. My only suggestion is surrender. This is a battle we know we can't win. There's no choice but to surrender now and minimize any innocent casualties," For the first time ever in his life, Cobalt had a tone of defeat. A tone nobody thought they would hear.

However, Quartz stood up and dusted himself off, "You are right father, or are you?"

"What are you on about son?"

"Yeah, you're right about our chances of winning such a battle are slim, but there's a saying in the Art of War and it reads: _Do not engage an enemy more powerful than you. If it is unavoidable,_ _engage_ _on your terms, not the enemy's._ We strike now, we throw them off guard. However, this can't be a slow attack. We have to be quick. Prevent them from regrouping. Cut off their reinforcements, disable their supply line. We do what we can to slow them down while destroying them. This has to be extremely fast. A blitzkrieg if you will."

"Can that work? We don't have the manpower to combat such a large army filled with officers of talent and valor. Quartz," Lavender questioned, "do you think that we could stand a chance against them?"

"Hmph, battles have been won through wisdom and strength working together. We just use our brawn and wit to overpower our enemy. We have our wit right here," Quartz walked over to his father and Twilight, "I'm sure these two genius minds can come up with some sort of strategy to ensure an easy push. While the brawn," He then takes everyone around him and puts them in a circle, "allows that strategy to come into fruition."

"Quartz," Everyone stared at him in shock as he continued his speech.

"However, you're right when it comes to numbers and we can't do too much without any troops. However, if we make our way to Depab now, we can get whatever army there is there and you know, perform a little magic while we're there in order to create a phantom or stone army. Possibly even both. It's up to whoever is the sorcerer on how long it'll take."

"What about the villagers? Where will they go when this battle rages on?"

"It's up to them if they want to take up arms or search for safety. We can't force them to fight. Leave it up to them."

"And what about weapons?" Rarity asked, "We'll have to rely on firearms and our signature combat weapons won't we?"

"Not necessarily. If we have a decent amount of troops extremely well versed in firearms, than they can handle them."

"What about any bombers or fighters? We can't hope to fight them with our amount of supplies," Alicia wondered as she remembered the mass amounts of air units sent in to bomb and protect themselves.

"Leave that to us," Twilight said as the girls ponied up, "Since we're all able to pony up, we can take care of all those air units from earlier."

"Right, I'm sure we can sway off those bombers and gunships away from our army," Rarity stated as she ponied up.

"That leaves us to lead the army into battle."

"Who will be the commander?" Cupcake wondered, "A battle can't be lead unless they have a commander."

"You're right, but who would be the right person to lead...," Quartz paced around thinking about who it would be, but everyone smirked at each other as they looked at him and said.

"Quartz."

"No, that's a terrible- wait what?"

"You're the one that thought of this plan. You should be the one that leads everyone to victory."

"B-But why? I-I'm too young to even attempt to lead a battle that could mean our future."

"Quartz," Alicia started, "you proved to your family and everyone here that you're not someone to be taken lightly. This is your chance to solidify that fear into your enemies," Quartz fell silent as he glanced off the ravine, "Quartz?"

"I'll do it. However, don't expect too much out of me. I'll do my best out of there and I hope all of you will do the same for me."

"We'll do it," Alicia stated, "All of us."

"Thanks. I'll need all the assistance possible from everyone," Quartz sighed as he ignited his hands and brought them together causing a massive shockwave, "This is where I'll show my prowess to my whole family..."


	19. Chapter 18

Before they could make it to Depab and create an army, they would have to traverse through the ravine. A ravine that could cause for trouble for them at any time. Alicia led the refugees and the leftover soldiers of her army moving quickly but cautiously, "Quartz, are you sure it was smart to leave that small of rear guard?"

"It's not a real rear guard. It's really just to alert us if Platinum's army gets too close. Don't worry, I'll make sure nothing happens to you or the villagers. My mother and her friends should be ready with the ship when we get there. Don't worry about an escape."

"I hope so. I'm just so worried about our people."

"Our?"

"U-Uh I mean...," Alicia fell silent as she looked away in embarrassment.

"Quit being such a school girl," Quartz started to poke Alicia while teasing her slightly.

"Stop it! I'm not a child!" Alicia tried to fight back, but Quartz was overpowering her.

From a distance, Silver glared at the two as she held her head low, "Look at them flirting it up. That should be me..."

"No, that should be me...," Lavender retorted. The two obviously had rainclouds above their heads as they saw the two flirting so openly.

"Those two should respect their relationship. Those two could be dating in the future and you'll have to accept it," Fluffy stated, but Electric raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really? If I remember correctly, you were jealous of those two hanging out with Quartz at home. You would say how you wish Quartz would hang out more with you instead of those two. How will you feel if he starts dating, huh?"

"W-What are you on about Electric? Are you implying that I might have a crush on our own brother?"

"Yes," Electric responded, "That's exactly what I'm implying."

"W-Well, you're wrong!"

"You're blushing...," Fluffy and Electric started arguing back and forth just like Lavender and Silver. Blaze stood back with Cupcake and Kat watching her sisters argue about their brother.

"Blaze, what's the matter?"

"Oh, uh... it's nothing really."

"No, it's something. You seem... perturbed?"

"Perturbed? Possibly, but I don't know why. I just feel like this plan won't help us win this war. I know numbers aren't everything in battle, but I'm worried about the famous officers they have in their ranks. Numbers can be beaten, but an army full of that much talent can surpass any strategy with their own game changing strategy."

"Blaze, there's more to war than talent. Talent can only get you so far. It's the hard work and dedication of those individuals that will get them to where they are now. Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard enough."

"I'm still... worried."

"I say," Kat started, "we trust whatever your brother has planned. We have two great minds on our side and we have our own officers of talent and valor. I trust your brother Blaze and you should to."

"I trust him, I just don't trust our chances of coming out on top. We may win one battle, but what about the battles leading after it? Sure we can endure a few assaults and skirmishes, but for how long? With our low provisions, we can only hold them off for so long."

"Yeah, I guess we didn't think about that..."

The large group continued moving before a soldier ran up to them scared, "Platinum's army have over taken us! They'll be here any minute!"

Quartz groaned in frustration as he stopped walking along with everyone else, "Damn it, we gotta keep moving. We can't give them a chance to...," Quartz paused and looked up towards the top of the ravine, "Ambush!" Thousands of soldiers walked to the edge of the upper ravine with rifles in hand and began firing down into the group of refugees.

"Get the people to safety!" Alicia ordered as multiple resistance soldiers slid down the side of the ravine with their swords in hand and began slaughtering the remaining refugees, "No!" Quartz and his family sprung into action as they did their best to get the people to safety. Quartz raised his hand up brining up a massive rock wall to protect the refugees.

"Follow me. We need to split up and make ourselves harder to hit! We'll meet back up at the shorelines!" Quartz led his group of refugees down a separate path along the ravine as did everyone else. Now, everyone was separated once again. In the 50,000 refugees that were with them, nearly over 30,000 of them perished in the surprise attack.

Quartz only had about 20 or so refugees as he continued along his path in the ravine. He looked back and saw that the villagers were growing tired. He sighed as he punched a wall out into the ravine and looked inside, "Everyone step inside for a rest. I know all of you are tired, so take a brief rest in here," Quartz proceeded to light a fire with his hands.

He sighed as he glanced away from the refugees he has to protect, "Hurry along. I'll block this entrance...," Once the last refugee entered, Quartz closed off the entrance and slid along the wall of the makeshift cave, "I'm sorry for anything that has transpired so far."

One of the refugees spoke almost apologetically, "No, no, we're all grateful for what you've done for us and our queen."

"Oh, I haven't done much. I mean, I was out for most of the time. What could I have possibly done in the 2 or 3 days that I was awake?"

"Well, you've made her happy. We've never seen the queen so happy and lively. Once everyone saw how happy she looked when with you, we just knew you had changed her life forever."

"I guess I can say the same for her. She's changed my life in so many ways that I feel almost indebted to her for my new outlook on life. Not only have I been able to reconcile with my family, but I've discovered powers I never thought I had before. Alicia is my life changer."

"We can see that. We've heard rumors about your actions against your family back on the mainland. After what we've seen, we thought it was only just that... rumors."

"Well, I won't lie. I was pretty bad before I got here. So much of me has changed. Who'd thought that I'd be the one to lead the attack on Discord and Platinum."

"Quartz...," One of the villagers began, "this Discord fellow I heard is so powerful that he even took out your father and his wives. How will we stand a chance against such a being of power?"

"Anything can be defeated if you find their weakness. I need not fear Discord, and neither shall any of you. I believe I have a on-going plan that might be... a shot in the dark."

"How so?"

"Oh, you'll see. You'll see...," Quartz nodded as looked at his necklace and sighed, "I hope it works..."

* * *

-An hour later-

"I think the coast is clear. He might call it off for now or he may have gone for the others. Let's get going," Quartz knocked the rock wall down and glanced outside and saw nothing, "It looks like they didn't even check over here. Let's go!" The refugee villagers followed Quartz as he ran towards the northern shore.

They didn't stop running for nearly a hour before they saw the boats, but he saw everyone except for Cupcake's and Kat's group of refugees, "Where are they? I would've thought that they made it by now."

"Quartz!" Alicia yelled as everyone boarded the boat, "What's happening? Nobody has seen Cupcake or Kat. Have you seen them?"

"No, I haven't passed anyone when we were separated."

"Oh no, I'm worried. Get the rest of your refugees on the ship. We're all waiting here for them to return," Quartz nodded as he led his group of refugees onto the ship. Once he stepped on board, Rarity tackled him for a hug.

"Oh dear! I'm so glad that ambush didn't kill you! I was so worried that you had perished from them!" Again, like before, Quartz's face was buried in her massive breasts, "Quartz deary, please don't worry me like that again!"

"Mom!" Silver yelled from behind them, "I was worried too!" Silver was coming in for a hug, but they heard Cupcake and Kat scream as they ran with only 3 refugees.

"Huh? Only 3 left?"

"Help!"

Behind them, a group of resistance soldiers carrying plasma swords. Quartz shot up as she saw them being pursued by the resistance soldiers. Quartz looked around at what he had, but he didn't have any ammo, "What do I use?" He glanced around and saw his father's old dragon spear on the boat, "I see," He quickly grabbed it and jumped off the boat with his spear.

"Quartz!" Everyone yelled in worried. His father only smiled as he saw his son take action.

Cupcake and Kat tried their best to fend off the resistance soldiers, but it seemed futile. They were soon surrounded on all sides, "What do we do? We need help!" As she said this, two soldiers smirked as they charged for them. However, they were immediately stopped as Quartz landed in front of them and killed them both. This caused the resistance soldiers to fall back a little to give themselves room.

"Quartz?" Cupcake questioned, "What are you?"

"Head to the boats. Get the people out of danger. We've already lost too many."

"What about you?"

"Just go! I'll found a way out!" He signaled them to move off without him as they did, "Hopefully I'll find a way out...," He glanced around as another two group of resistance soldiers attacked, but he countered them and took them both out quickly.

"Get on! We're leaving," Cobalt ordered. However, everyone was against them leaving him behind.

"Father, we can't leave him alone."

"We have to worry about the safety of the people first. He'll be fine. Just watch...," Cobalt brought up the bridge of the ship and they set sail.

"Cobalt!" Everyone yelled. They glanced over at Quartz who were taking out crowds and crowds of them. He looked away from them for a second and saw that the ship was moving now. Quartz then saw multiple riflemen take aim through the bushes in front of him.

"Shit!" Quartz balled his hand as a large wall formed in front of him to block the bullets, "Damn it, I gotta make a run for it..."

"Father!" Lavender exclaimed, but he didn't look at her. He just kept watching. Lavender then took a deep breath in frustration and ran over to side of the ship, "Quartz! Come on!" Everyone looked at Lavender in shock. The former shy girl was no longer shy. She was becoming a bold, confident in herself. This made her mother extremely proud of her.

This voice echoed through Quartz's ears as he slowly stepped back before sprinting off. Some of the resistance soldiers chased after him as some appeared in front of him. He sliced through of them and threw his spear at the side of the boat. The spear was now stuck on the side as he used another soldier as a boost to launch him towards the boat. He reached for his spear and grabbed onto it.

He hung off of it as the riflemen ran around the wall and started firing at him, "Quartz!" Lavender yelled. Quartz moved his body back and forth as he launched himself onto the boat. He landed in front of everyone and stood up slowly. He glanced around as Lavender walked up to him, "Quartz?"

He twirled his spear and turned around, "This is our first step towards freeing this land from Discord's grasp. No, not just our land, but our whole universe! To Depab!"

* * *

During the trip to Depab, Quartz stared at his father's spear, "I never really thought I would use you. Father gave me you when I was younger, but I never thought I'd actually user you. Wait," Quartz turned towards a door behind him, "Mom!" Almost instantly, Rarity burst through the door.

"Yes Quartz deary, are you hurt? Do you need a massage? Or?"

"First of all, don't just stand outside my quarter's like that. It's weird. I expect that out of the...," Quartz stopped and looked out his door, "other girls!" As he yelled that, he heard crashing and the fast shuffling of feet, "But not you..."

"I'm sorry, I'm just trying whatever I can do to make up for all the years of torment."

"No, I'm just not used to it. Anyway, I'm wondering how you were able to get an exact replica of the spear. How?"

"It's from Manifest. You know, the one thing that you refused to learn."

"And I still do refuse to learn it. It feels like a straight handicap. Why would I wanna learn something that can shift a duel or battle in just one spell?"

"It also changes lives too if you've never noticed. That family beach house was manifested by that spell."

"What? I thought dad built it."

"No, he laid the foundation. He never actually built it from his hands. He was in a time crunch and just threw it together."

"Ah, well, I'm still not gonna learn it. Doesn't matter what you do or say. I'm not gonna learn it."

"Even if I... tempted you?" Rarity traced her finger over Quartz's chest which caused him to shutter a little, "Feeling good?"

"Ahem!" They heard a loud cough come from the hallway. The turned to see Cobalt raising an eyebrow at the two, "Mind if I ask what's going on here exactly?"

"Uh, n-nothing is going here Cobalt darling."

"She's trying to seduce me into learning Manifest. You should do something about that dad."

"I see," Cobalt walked off causing Rarity to chase after him.

"Sweety please," She turned back to him and glared before saying, "I'll make a man out of you one way or another!" And like that, she was gone.

"Welp, I should walk around on the boat. Talk too some of the people I never had a chance to talk to," Quartz stood up and walked out into the hallway. He looked around and sighed, "Question is... who?"

He looked around and walked to the upper deck and saw Cupcake glancing out into the endless ocean. Feeling as she probably still misses her sister, Quartz walked over to her, "Cupcake?"

"Oh, Quartz..."

"Are you still worried about your sister? I'm sorry we've had to bring you around for such a ride or that my dad brought you along."

"It's fine. It's good to know that you're all still willing to help."

"Count on me to help you find Meadow. I'll do my best," Cupcake smiled as Quartz walked off.

However, Cupcake spoke up, "Quartz," He turned to face her and she smiled, "Thank you for saving Kat and I. Who would've thought you'd be the one to jump in."

"I can't leave anyone behind. The old me wouldn't have cared, but this new Quartz will help you in your time of need. Be safe now you hear?"

"Yeah...," And with that, Quartz walked off to talk to more people. Quartz saw Saber as she stood with Rainbow and Applejack.

He walked up to them and greeted them, "Hey girls."

"Hey Quartz," Saber responded.

"Ya' need somethin' sugar?"

"Nah, just wanted to talk. I don't know how far we may be from Depab, so I decided to walk around and check on everyone."

"In that case, I wanna know what changed in you neph?" Rainbow asked, "Before you were all stubborn and hated seeing us. Well, apart from Lavender, Silver and Fluttershy."

"I guess you could say I had an epiphany when I had met Alicia. I don't know how to say how I got that realization. It's really hard to say."

"It's fine. I just think this new you is something we've wanted to see from you for a while."

"A lot of people have..."

"Ya' know, 'Ah think that this plan of yours is gonna give us the win. But uh, don't ya' think that Discord could have a counter. 'Ah mean, he could have an ace up his sleeve."

"Which is why I say we lose the first skirmish with him," Quartz suggested shocking all three of them.

"Lose on purpose? What do you mean? One loss could cost us."

"Sometimes, it takes one loss to win it all. We need to know how his army is commanded first before we make any hasty moves. However, we have to be precise...," Before Quartz could finish, Rainbow stopped him.

"How about you save it for Depab. No use wasting on all of us. Man, you're just like Cobalt," Rainbow chuckled slightly as Quartz nodded.

"Yeah, sorry. I spent a lot of time in the family library reading. So I have so many strategies in my head. But uh, I'll leave all of you to what you were doing. I'm gonna see if anyone else wants to talk or something."

"Oh actually, your Aunt Twilight was looking for you. She should be in the lower deck with Fluttershy."

"Alright, I'll be sure to stop by to see what she wants," Quartz walked off towards the lower deck but ran into Lavender, "Oh, hey Lavender."

"H-Hey..."

"What's the matter?"

"It's just... I was worried. When I saw you jump down there to help Cupcake and Kat, I was worried. I felt my heart sink as I saw you do that. I mean, I was glad you stepped up, but I was afraid you were gonna get hurt. I don't you getting hurt or killed."

"I'll get hurt regardless, but I'll do my best to keep myself and all of you alive," Lavender shook and tackled him for a hug, "For tonight, can you sleep with me?"

"Why?"

"I wanna make sure nothing happens t you while you're asleep."

"That seems a little unnecessary."

"S-Sorry... my older sister instincts kicked..."

"I didn't say I wouldn't. I just said it was unnecessary."

"O-Oh..."

"Now come on. You're a grown woman. No need to look weak. You've looked strong these last few weeks. Especially that yell you did earlier. It shocked me, yet motivated me. That's what I like to see from you. I'm glad I'm not the only one changing," Lavender blushed as she looked away, "Sorry Lavender, but I have to go see Auntie Twilight right quick."

"Alright, don't forget."

"I won't."

The two siblings smiled as Quartz walked off. He kept walking before he saw Electric and Fluffy playing... rock paper scissors? Confused, he confronted them on it, "Girls, is there a reason you're playing rock paper scissors?"

"N-No reason...," Electric started, "Definitely not trying to fight for your...," Before she could finish, Fluffy slapped the back of her head.

"We're just trying to pass time while we're here. I wonder why we just don't use Gate. I mean, our father has been to Depab before. Why don't we just use Gate?"

"Maybe there's a whole different reason. we do have to transport all these refugees safely across the ocean. I guess this is a way to keep them safe."

"Hey Quartz, we know your 16th birthday is inching closer and we were wondering if you... wanted anything special for that special day?"

"Uh, I don't think so. I've never really wanted anything. I kinda just want everything to go back to normal."

"That's something that may uh... not happen for a while little bro...," Electric said as she placed a hand on his shoulder, but she sort of had trouble since Quartz was taller than her, "Damn it, why are you do tall?"

"I guess I get it from dad."

"I can tell...," Quartz chuckled as she looked away from him, "I think it's because I'm the shortest out of everyone..."

"I don't know, Alicia is pretty short too."

"Yeah, but at least she has something happening here!" Electric traced around her chest area causing Quartz to blush and Electric to raise an eyebrow before yelling, "You've stared at it before haven't you?!"

"I mean, I'm not gonna deny it...," Quartz looked away as Electric stated hitting his chest.

"AH! You pervert!"

"How does that make me a pervert?!"

"Can you two stop?" Fluffy asked, "I don't think it's his fault. However, I do think it's inappropriate for you to stare at a female's chest."

"But..."

"But you're a growing boy and you would go through that phase...," Fluffy then decided to shy away, "so if you need know anything to help in future... don't be afraid to ask..."

"H-Huh?"

"Fluffy! Don't say that!" Electric tried to talk sense into Fluffy as she was grasping her body as she moving around. This was Quartz's chance to sneak away from them only for him to run into Pinkie and Sunset. Pinkie sported the biggest smile he has ever seen.

"Uh, Auntie Pinkie, Auntie Sunset, is something wrong? Why are you smiling like a psychopath?"

"Oh just wondering...," Pinkie began, "How long do you think it'll be be before you propose to Alicia!"

"What?!" Quartz, Fluffy and Electric yelled in unison.

"Pinkie, I think it's too early for him to ask for hand in marriage. However, I do believe that it's definitely time for him to ask her out, right?"

"U-Uh..."

"Oh come on Quartz! I need to know so that I can plan the biggest wedding ceremony... _EVER_!"

"Uh, g-give me a second to...," Before he could finish, Quartz sprinted away so that he could avoid the question.

"Geez, you scared him off Pinkie. Look, don't come off to hard on him. Give him time. I think he's still trying to find himself."

"What are you talking about? I thought he was already good?"

'Yeah, no. He may be different now, but he's still finding who he truly is. He still seems to be... confused as to what his real goal is. He said his goal was to ensure that peace would come back to Uskain, but look at it now. He needs to find himself, and I believe a new goal will help him realize that."

"Oh, I get it. Well, what will he do when Cobalt...," Sunset placed a hand over her mouth and chuckled as she pointed over to Electric and Fluffy, "Oh... right..."

"What do you two mean?"

Quartz jogged away as he ran into Silver and Alicia talking to one another. To not get seen by them, he hid away from a nearby corner, "No way, was he really like that as a kid?"

"Definitely, and he's afraid of bugs."

"Bugs?"

"Get it right Silver. I'm not afraid of bugs, I just don't want them being around me."

"You know Silver, Quartz is very clueless about girls. Why haven't you taught him about how to determine a girl's feelings?"

"Blame my mother for that. She should've done that a long time ago, but no, she had to be an ass..."

"Isn't she gonna punish you though?"

"E-Eh?! What for?!"

"For trying to kill everyone..."

"I-I wasn't myself...," Silver glanced away as Alicia laughed.

 _"Man, now that_ _I_ _look at them, they look and act nearly the same. Silver has my mom's purple hair while Alicia ironically has silver hair._ _It's_ _strange. Do_ _I_ _feel connected to_ _Alicia_ _because_ _she's_ _like my sister?"_

Quartz quietly snuck away as he ran into Twilight and Flutterahy, "Oh, Quartz, we were looking for you. I wanted to talk about those blades in your wrist."

"Yeah?"

"I've decided to ask you if you didn't want them in your wrists anymore. You seem to know your way around a spear, so I just wanted to ask."

"Where would they go then?"

"Fluttershy allowed me to put them in Lavender."

"What?!"

"We feel like that can be her weapon from now on and you can teach her how to use them properly."

"But didn't you even consult her on this decision."

"Yes we did, we asked her first before you."

"Dear," Fluttershy began, "didn't she ask to sleep with you earlier?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, that's why. She's worried a little bit. We know you prefer a spear more. Your father and his family have specialized in polearms, so it's best if you sticked with the spear. We can set those blades in Lavender."

"But..."

"We're not forcing you," Twilight added, "It's your choice if we do this or not. Tomorrow morning once we arrive in Depab, we'll perform the procedure if you agree with it. Talk it over with Lavender before you both fall asleep."

"Uh, I'll think about it...," Twilight nodded as seen walked off leaving Fluttershy behind with him.

"Quartz..."

"Give me time on that decision. I already have a lot on my shoulders...," Quartz walked off clearly frustrated causing Fluttershy to worry.

"Please don't stress yourself. Once your father is gone... You'll have to take the reigns..."

* * *

Later that night, Quartz was on the upper deck look out into the see with the moonlight shining down into the water. He looked down into the water and stared at his reflection. He soon saw his face form into how his father looked when he was his age.

"What would you have done in this situation? I know you had a sister, so what if this was her? What would you do?" He then glanced at the spear beside him and then he shot his blades out, "What do _I_ do?"

Quartz stared for a long time before he groaned in frustration before snatching his spear. He got into a fighting stance with it and he stared in front of him. Then he pictured Platinum standing in front of him. He took a deep breath and thrust forward and continued thrusting before swinging his spear around him. He slammed it on the ground before thrusting once more.

He did one massive sweep as he did a back flip before jabbing the end of his spear before bringing his blade around for one big slash. He jammed his spear into the ground as he used it to lift himself into the air. However, he left his spear in the ground as he brought his wrist blades out performing a combo of lightning fast slashes and sweeps with them. Electricity started building in his blades as he unleashed it all in one point causing a massive shockwave.

Quartz heavily breathed in and out as he put his blades away and picked his spear up from the ground. He looked at his spear and then at his hand, "I know what to do..."

Quartz soon arrived at his room to see Lavender waiting for him. She was wearing a pretty blue and white night gown that matched her battle gear, "You're already here?"

"Yeah, I've just been sitting here awaiting your arrival. Why were you out on the upper deck?"

"I had some thinking to do. About switching my blades from me to you."

Lavender fell silent before she asked, "What do you wanna do?" Lavender awaited a response as Quartz glanced at his spear before stepping forward.

"I've made my decision. I want to keep the spear and let you use the blades. I'm just worried about how it could effect you in the future."

"I... I'm worried. I've never tried any other weapon before. My harp is what I'm used to."

"I... feel like this would be a good change. I can teach you all I know," Lavender looked away as Quartz placed his hands on her shoulder, "You know, this does mean we'll get to spend more time together. Isn't that what you wanted?"

"H-Huh?" She quickly turned around to meet his gaze only to avert them quickly, "N-No..."

"Don't be shy. You're not your mother. You need to be... a little more assertive. Like earlier, that was your first towards that assertiveness. I know you can do it. I believe in you Lavender...," Quartz proceeded to embrace her as Lavender savored each moment during in his embrace.

"Quartz... I love you. Did you know that?"

"Of course, that's what a sister is suppose to do, right?"

Lavender wanted to say more to clarify her _true_ love, but opted against it, _"He loves Alicia, and a relationship between siblings is unacceptable. I have to think about him first. His love for Alicia far exceeds any love that he could feel for us. I need to support any relationship he wants... even if it means letting him go in the future...,"_ Lavender glanced at him and smiled bright, "Yes, that's right..."

"Lavender, could you manifest me some decent clothes, or at least my battle gear? I don't wanna walk around with bandages and torn BDU pants..."

"Don't worry. I'll take care of you."

The two continued embracing one another while Silver listened in from the outside. She slid down onto the floor as she thought about them, "I... can't let her show me up..."

* * *

That next morning, once they had arrived on Depab, they were greeted by Cupcake's master and the rest of her family, "Cupcake...," His sister's hugged her as she stepped off the boat.

Quartz raised an eyebrow as he looked back and forth from them and his mother and her friends, "Don't they have similar features to our parents? Look at them..."

"I don't know. I don't see the resemblance," Silver responded.

"Oh my gosh Cupcake, we were all worried sick about you. We had thought the worse...," Silver asked.

"Don't worry Silver, I'm fine..."

"Silver?" All of Cobalt's kids wondered.

"Huh? Oh right, Silver, one of Cobalt's kids is named Silver. Come on Silver, meet Silver," Cupcake ushered Cobalt's kid, Silver to move forward to meet Silver, "Don't be shy. You two specialize in ice, so you two are practically the same."

"Are we the same in personality though?" Silver wondered, "I mean, she has my mother's weird refined accent..."

"Weird? I don't think it's weird," Rarity said as she twirled her hair.

"I agree. There's nothing weird with having a refined voice."

"Finally someone who agrees with me," Rarity and Silver both locked arms and did some haughty laugh causing everyone to dead eye them.

"Anyway, girls, meet the rest of Cobalt's kids," They all bowed before each other as Quartz stepped forward.

"It's an honor to meet such legendary warriors from the old times. I'd never thought I'd meet such people of your caliber."

"Oh my, I didn't know you would have a son like this. Impressive," Silver said as she looked at Rarity, "Almost like our good dear Brian here."

"Well, he wasn't always like this," Everyone raised any eyebrow at Quartz as he uttered a small chuckle, "Now, he's a charming young man who has... stolen the hearts of a few," Rarity glanced at the kids and Alicia who all blushed and looked away.

"Well, Brian has won our hearts all the same. However, I do believe that everyone being here isn't good news on our sister, right Cupcake?"

"Yes, I'm afraid I could not get glimpse of Meadow at all during my time in Uskain before we were forced off by the resistance. Now, we just found out that the same army that drove us out is in alliance with Discord and will more than likely arrive here in Depab."

"The enemy will outnumber us greatly," Brian began, "It'll be too dangerous to risk an attack."

"That's why my son has a plan to throw the enemy off and lower their morale."

"Really now? Mind telling us how?" Brian questioned as Takam walked up to join everyone.

"What's going in here? Oh, Emperor, you're here... and your family... and a whole bunch of other people!"

"Sorry Takam, we were driven away from Uskain. I was able to reunite with my family, but we failed in finding their sister along with news of a impending attack on Depab."

"What?!"

"Don't worry though, my son has a plan that just may get us through. Quartz... mind explaining?"

"Uh, s-sure..."

"Great! Bezsius, please show them to our war tent. By the way, Moonlight is feeling much better since you left. Harmony has been awaiting your return."

Cobalt glanced at his wives and nodded, "Very well, I shall visit her. As for the rest of you, follow them to prepare the war council."

"The refugees you have will settle just fine in the village. Let's get this planning started."

* * *

As everyone started moving, Cobalt headed straight for the village to see Harmony. He stopped in front of the hut's door and sighed. He knocked only to hear, "Come in!"

Cobalt stepped only to be met with a surprise hug from Moonlight who seemed fully healed of her fever, "Daddy!"

"Huh?"

"She made a full recovery last week. She hasn't been able to sit down since she recovered...," Harmony let put a soft cough as she looked pale and weak.

"Harmony... your time is coming soon isn't it?"

"Yeah, I don't know how long I have before then. You yourself only have a few months, right?"

"Yeah..."

"What will your family do? Do they even know?"

"My wives sort of have the idea, but my kids are clueless..."

"I see, well, they need to know."

"Mommy, can I see my brother Quartz? I've only been and be to see through Astral Projection."

"She learned how?"

"Yeah, when she first caught the illness. She would tell me how she would visit Quartz all the time. Although, she said she couldn't directly talk to him."

"I wanna talk and see him daddy!"

"Quartz is busy right now. Maybe in in a little bit..."

"Fine...," Rarity stood outside as she walked away leaving them alone.

 _"Cobalt..."_

* * *

-The Night Before-

"Are you really making your move on him now?"

"I have no choice to. You say you have only a few months to live, but what if that comes faster than you think? Quartz is the only one that I've seen that can fill the void you'll leave. I think Fluttershy and everyone else is taking notice too. Soon, your son is going to be only thing that will be able to fill that void you'll be leaving."

"I understand that, but are you fine with seducing your own son? Not only will he perform polygamy since the rest of you are doing the same, but incest as well. Both would be frowned upon..."

"In our world, but in the Mystic Relam, you said something like this is common."

"I know, but are you fine with that?"

Rarity fell silent before answering confidently, "Yes, I love Quartz with all my heart just as much as I do you..."

Cost nodded before laing on his bed in the boat, "Very well, do as your wish."

* * *

-Present Time during the War Council-

"Discord will definitely attempt to surround us on all sides using the artillery from Uskain to suppress us while he moves in. However, if we attack Discord now when he least expects it, his men will be confused and have no chance to retaliate."

"But what if we're not fast enough? What if he has the army to defend long enough for reinforcements to arrive."

"That's where our extra units come in. We'll have a decoy unit to distract his army forcing him to call for reinforcements and supplies. When he does, our excess units will attack his supply line and cut off his reinforcements. Once that is taken care off, we'll surround him and move in fast. This will weaken his army for any upcoming assaults on us. It won't take him out indefinitely, but it'll offer us some breathing room."

"And what of Platinum and his army of resistance soldiers?"

"I'm sure our mystics can do something to combat weapons like that now that they're not in Uskain now, right Alicia?"

"I see, but who will lead the decoy unit?" Bezsius asked.

Quartz looked around and said, "I'll do it..."


	20. Chapter 19

"Quartz, are you insane? Why would you wanna lead the decoy?" Blaze asked.

"Quartz, you'll be killed," Lavender stated, "If you get captured they will kill you."

"There's a high probability, but there's also the probability of survival. If we work fast enough, well, we won't have to worry about the low chance of survival now do we?"

"I guess so..."

"Now, we need to figure out where and when our main force will make their push. If we figure that out, we'll make it just fine."

"I think that once the enemy is scrambling around, the main force can flank around and charge in while they're distracted."

"Can that work? We'll need time to prepare such a force."

"We can spend the next few days making an army."

"I see, well, a few days from now, we will make our push on Discord's army. Hopefully we can do enough damage to his army to gain some breathing room. However, I do have another plan that I sort of talked about with Saber, Auntie Applejack, and Auntie Rainbow. I say we lose the initial assault."

"Lose?!" Everyone exclaimed. Twilight then started, "Why would we want to lose? If anything, we should worry about winning every battle we have. If we lose one, our morale will plummet."

"Although that's true, I would've thought a renowned strategist like yourself Auntie Twilight to get what I'm saying here. We must lose one battle to win many. We learn our enemy in this one failed assault. We do that, the rest is assured."

"What if our plan doesn't work?" Cupcake wondered causing Quartz to fall silent. His silence caused the others around him to silent.

The deafening silence caused Quartz to stand up and say, "Which is why I'll leave it up to all of you. We'll take a vote on what should be done. Should we lose our first assault or should we take time to build our army's numbers?"

After a short time, the majority voted for allowing them to bide their time and gain an army. They told Quartz that they'll need at least a month. However, he was against this as he didn't want to use too much time for something like this.

Twilight soon met up with him afterwards and offered a plan, "Conjuring our own army will of course take more than just a month. However, I do have a plan to quicken that."

"Really? How?"

"So we can actually save some of the warriors that Discord has imprisoned. Discord can't convince everyone to join him, and I don't believe his mind control is powerful on someone who is self righteous. So I believe some of the warriors that he has captured are imprisoned somewhere."

"Do you think that's possible?"

"More than likely. Plus, we might be able find Meadow. I say finding her and new allies would be killing two birds with one stone. How about it?"

"I don't know. Where do we start? The entire Mystic Realm is in Discord's control along with multiple other dimensions. How do we go about finding where to look?"

"I may be of some help," Cupcake walked towards the two and sighed, "When your father and I were scouting a supply depot earlier, I heard talk about a fortress in the northern area of the Mystic Realm. I heard it holds some powerful warriors who were immune to Discord's spell or who refused to serve him. We might be able to find some help there if we attack now."

"Hm..."

"There's one lead Quartz," Twilight began, "But I also heard talk of another fortress in southern Uskain. There should be a mix of warriors and mages from another world there."

"How would you know that?" Quartz questioned.

"I don't. I just heard it as a rumor from the locals in Uskain. It's suppose to be guarded by some powerful soldiers. However, I would assume a lot of these fortresses are."

"Actually, I heard about something Quartz!" The three of them turned to see Silver running up to them, "When I was with Platinum, I heard him talk about fortresses nearly all over the entire universe. He wanted to spread out these warriors around so that nobody will think twice about going there. I know one in a universe only called Dawn. He said it holds students from a school that are trained to be fighters and they captured the whole school including their top fighters. If we are able to free them, I say we'll have some capable hands to help in our cause."

"I also heard of a place we could go," Blaze added.

"Blaze! Don't steal my thunder!"

"Need I remind you that I, along with Fluffy and Electric, were part of Platinum's army too. I'm sure they know some places too. Quartz, just go around asking people for some help on where to go next. Once you've made up your mind, just come talk to us."

"Alright, but uh, what did you hear Blaze?"

"Well, there's supposedly a city in the clouds in an alternate Earth Realm known as Rosevale. It is completely hidden from the ground below. Apparently, it is suppose to be the last stronghold for the humans there from a demon species. Discord allied with the demons and took out the city and imprisoned their army. I'm sure if we go there now, we can find some powerful warriors. However, I'd say wait on that. I wouldn't want you attacking without any real help."

"Is that you being worried about my well-being Blaze?"

"I-I have to be worried! Y-You're my brother..."

"I'm just teasing ya'. But uh, yeah, I'll check some more stuff out. I'll come back if I have anymore to say."

"Alright, I'll see you when you do."

"Hm, who do I ask. Maybe I should start with Fluffy and Electric. They were part of Platinum's army for about a day, so maybe they could know something."

"Well, you need to tell him Fluffy. The more you hold off, the more he'll move away. I mean, look at how far Lavender got."

"What are they talking about?" Quartz wondered. He walked over to them and waved, "Fluffy? Electric? What are you girls talking about?"

"U-Uh...," Fluffy stuttered heavily. Almost as much as Fluttershy would.

"Oh, we're just talking about some... romance stuff. So uh, what do you need?"

"I was wondering if either of you knew about any of the fortresses that are holding some of the prisoners that Discord has."

"Hm well, I heard that the warriors of the Three Kingdoms are imprisoned in their own universe along with some of the warriors from the warring states of Japan. Maybe we can head there and free them. I heard some of the free warriors are attempting to free them, but aren't having any success."

"Hm, and you Fluffy?"

"U-Uh...," Quartz raised an eyebrow and snapped his fingers, "Huh?!"

"Fluffy, I need to know if you have any idea where Discord could be holding some people."

"Um... I believe I heard that someof the Mystics Discord captured are being held in the mainland. So maybe we can find some of our father's companions and save them."

"Alright, but what else could we do?"

"I don't know. Maybe your mother may know something, or even offer some insight."

"Uh, I don't know. She's been trying to seduce me recently."

"Who hasn't tried to seduce you? I'm sure Alicia has, and Lavender. Hell, Silver tried to seduce you in mid air. I mean, you're not even legal yet!"

"What makes it worse is that it's my own family. Well, apart from Alicia. At least you two aren't trying that."

"Well...," Electric started, but she was stopped by Fluffy.

"Shut it!"

"Uh? Is there something she can't tell me."

"Yes, n-now be a good brother and do what she told you to do."

"Okay?" Quartz walked off confused, "I don't understand girls at all...," Quartz soon met up with his mother who was sitting watching the sea move in front of her, "Weird. I expected Auntie Fluttershy to do this. Hm...," He took one more glance at her and was taken aback by her beauty, "Even in chaotic times such as these, she still somehow manages to remain beautiful. I wonder how she does it..."

"That's how your mother is," Quartz turned around to see his father, "You see, she's always been known in the Mystic Realm for her beauty. You know that."

"Yeah?"

"But back on in her home, she was seen a renowned beauty as well. I remember when she was in school, I saw multiple people ask her out. However, she her eyes set on one person, and that was me."

"Wow..."

"But now, she's starting to see something in you. She sees... me in you."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I think it's not only your battlefield expertise and cunning tactics, but also your blue hair reminds her of how I was when I was your age."

"I see..."

"Father, I need to ask if you know how well the strongholds holding Discord's prisoners."

"It depends on who they're guarding. If it's someone on high authority, they're gonna protect them with everything they got."

"Alright, so do you know where to start?"

"I'd say you go for the Dawn Academy."

"Is that the Dawn dimension?"

"Yes, that dimension has the infamous Dawn Academy. It trains warriors called Avians that fight beings known as Enigmas. However, Enigmas were also battling Discord and failed along with Dawn Academy. I do know that there are some resistance fighters still trying to free them. So maybe you can gain their trust and work with them to free them. Just a suggestion."

"Alright, thanks dad."

"No problem. Now continue with what you were doing...," Cobalt walked off leaving Quartz alone to stare at his mother. Quartz sighed as he walked towards her.

"I heard you talking over there...," Rarity began, "with your father..."

"Oh, so you heard most of that?"

"Try all of it sweety. Thank you for complementing my beauty Quartz," She turned around and passed him, "I don't know much about the prisoners he's holding. But I do know that our dearest friends and allies from Equestria are under Discord's control. I trust you will do what you can to free them, correct?"

"Of course, I know how much the citizens of Equestria mean to you and the rest of my aunts. You have my word mom. I will do what I can to save them."

"Thank you sweety," Rarity walked off as Quartz gazed into the open sea. He was soon joined by Alicia and Saber who walked very slowly to him.

"Quartz?" Alicia called out.

"I don't know what I'm to do."

"What?"

"Everyone's counting on me to help the prisoners Discord has. I know I can't save all of them, and I know that I can't promise them that I'll save them. I don't know what to do in this situation. So much rests on my shoulder in this battle. If we lose, it'll be the end of life as we know it..."

"Quartz, you won't make it any better if you act like this. You need to have faith. Faith in the army that stands before you, and faith in those you hold dear to your heart."

"Yeah, remember, everyone here supports you. They'll follow you through thick and thin. You just have to show them that you would do the same, and you tried your best doing so."

"But can I really lead us to victory over Discord? He was able to take out so many powerful warriors and their leaders. How are we able to defeat him?"

"He was only able to that because we weren't ready. Now that we have a plan in motion, it'll be _our_ time to catch him off guard. It'll be _our_ chance to make our move on Discord," Alicia stated, "Quartz, let us work together. We shall bring down this deity of evil, and bring peace and balance back to our universe."

"Yeah..."

"Don't keep the long face Quartz. Remember, I'll always be here to support you. You know that," Saber wrapped her arm around Quartz and smiled at him, "We may not be part of Alicia's army, but we're still partners. Oh and... when you claim the Mystic Realm back I'd love to be your marshal."

"If my siblings don't get there first."

"Oh well, just leave a spot in the government for me," Saber slapped his back and walked away. However, Alicia stayed behind. She walked up to him and she took something out.

"Alicia?" She took out a ring and handed it to him, "What is this?"

"It's called the Ring of Protection. It'll protect you from most projectiles depending on how fast it's going. So if they fire anything at you, you'll be protected."

"Thank you...," Alicia nodded and walked away, but Quart called out, "Wait, Alicia, do you know about the prisoners being held in Uskain?"

"Not much, but I did hear about an abandoned prison in Southern Uskain holding some prisoners, but I don't know exactly where it is. Maybe I can assist you."

"Uh... possibly..., but thanks for your info."

"No problem. Don't hurt yourself now Quartz," Alicia walked away, but told him one more piece of information, "By the way, there's another dimension that was also attacked by him. I believe it was called Iprionia? I don't really remember the name, but the kingdom there was also taken out by Discord's army. I'm sure you can find some able hands since I heard some resistance soldiers are trying to help free the prisoners there."

"Alright, thanks Alicia...," Alicia bowed and left Quartz to his worries.

 _"Where do I go first? We don't have long, so it'll be impossible to_ _do them all._ _I'll_ _have to narrow it_ _down_ _to a few rescues._ _Let's_ _see, we have_ _those_ _students_ _at Dawn. Then the city in the sky, Rosevald. We_ _can't_ _forget the_ _prisoners_ _in the mainland and the warriors of the_ _Three_ _Kingdoms and the Warring_ _States_ _era of Japan. The Southern Uskain prison_ _seems_ _tempting_ _yet_ _risky. What do_ _I_ _do?"_

He glanced at the water and saw something in it, "Huh?" He saw a dog like creature leap out and onto a rock nearby, "Uh?"

"Hello," The creature spoke. This shocked Quartz and nearly made him speechless.

"W-What?"

"Um, hello? You're Shining Quartz, correct?" The creature spoke once more.

"D-Depends on who's asking..."

"I'm sorry. My name Tanichi."

"Tanichi? You're that mystical creature that I've heard my Auntie Fluttershy talk about."

"Precisely. Actually, I'm a friend of your father and every single emperor or empress that followed before him."

"No way..."

"You see, you seem to be in a bind. I for one can help you out of this bind."

"Are you going to bless me with your divine wisdom?!"

"Not quite. Your father may not notice, but I'll help you make decisions. I won't tell you what to do, but I will offer some insight."

"Wait, wouldn't you sort of be offering me your wisdom?"

"Listen here you idiot, I'm offering my help to you so you won't look like an idiot in front of your crush."

"Uh... you mean Alicia?"

"Wow, you're nor even denying it?"

"I can't deny the obvious, right?"

"Alright, but you'll still act like a shy boy whenever you two are romantically alone."

"Shut up. How are you going to help me?"

"Well, let me tell you straight up. The Southern Uskain prison is too dangerous to hit with the troops you have now. You'll need some able arms to help your cause to attack that prison. However, I do hear that Dawn and Rosevale are already under siege by Anti-Discord soldiers. If you work with them, you will find those rescue missions to be a lot less time consuming."

"Okay, and I'm sure the prisoners in the mainland are out of the question."

"I wouldn't say all of them," Tanichi leaped from the rock on Quartz shoulder, "The prisoners in the north here," Tanichi brought up a map of the Mystic Realm and circled the top part, "aren't heavily guarded due to the conditions. If you can do a quick sweep, you'll be able to save the prisoners there."

"And Iprionia?"

"That place is a straight up warzone. Same with the Warring States and Three Kingdoms. You and your army will be caught in the crossfire. I'd say wait on them as well. All that really matters is the order of who you will rescue. If I were you, I'd save the Dawn Academy students first followed by the Rosevale civilians. Whether we save the northern prisoners is up to you," Quartz looked at the map and looked down, "Tick tock. Time is of the essence my friend."

"Wait a minute, what are you anyway? I was never told about you having a definite appearance."

"I'm a shape shifter. I can be anything you want."

"Can I change you into something that I can carry around without drawing too much attention?"

"I can be a mini version of this dog and go right in that pocket right there."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. I hope you don't move a lot."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean breath heavily."

"I won't unless I have an intense duel."

"Ugh, remind me to hop out before you start fighting."

"Fine..."

"So what are you going to do first?"

"I think I'll discuss it with my family."

"Alright, I hope you're up for some fun."

"I'm always up for some fun."

"Then let's get on with it!"

* * *

A/N: I meant for this to be longer, but I wanted to branch it off to the next few chapters of the rescues. At this point, there will be crossovers from other series in the future. For now, it's crossing over with my original novels. So that's the base for the next few chapters. I hope everyone enjoys this as I will upload full-time on this profile now. So I hope everyone enjoys my future uploads!


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